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Australia’s World Cup-winning captain Michael Clarke opened up about his struggles with mental health. Clarke spoke about the toll it took on his body, the sadness and the lack of motivation he has experienced of late. He revealed on a podcast that he is suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder. Clarke led the Australian cricket team to victory in the 2015 World Cup, which was played on their home soil.
Speaking on the Mental as Anyone Podcast, Clarke revealed how that he never went for a diagnosis despite feeling sad and depressed.
"I have never been checked; I think it is a given. It is like ADD (attention deficit disorder),it’s a given. Definitely, ask my parents; you don’t need to take me to a doctor. I’ve certainly been extremely sad, devastated, floored, can’t move for days, and can’t get out of bed. I've lost family members and a couple of my closest friends, so I think I’ve felt the deepest sadness, but I think it was sadness,” said the 43-year-old.
“I don’t know if it was depression. I’ve never gone to a doctor to be diagnosed with depression, for example, or to seek medication for depression" the former New South Wales cricketer added.
Clarke compares himself with legendary Australian captains
Clarke also spoke about his equation with the fans. He believes he did whatever he wanted, which makes him an unlikable cricketer among fans. He compared himself with Australian legends Allan Border, Steve Waugh, and Mark Taylor who never had any tattoos, piercings or owned a sports car.
“I don’t think any of those three have tattoos, have an earring, dye their hair, or, you know, play a handful of Test matches and want a Ferrari, so I went and bought one. I did what I felt. Those decisions that I made that probably people didn’t agree with were fair enough as well,” said Clarke.
Clarke’s career numbers
Michael Clarke started his second innings as a commentator post-retirement from international cricket in 2015. He scored 8,643 runs in Test cricket at an average of 49.10 including 28 centuries and 27 fifties. Michael led Australia to Ashes victories in 2013 and 2015, also being a key factor in their 2015 World Cup triumph. In ODIs, he scored 7,981 runs from 245 games at an average of 44.58 including eight centuries and 58 fifties.
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