Cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar on Sunday (May 16) admitted that he battled anxiety for a major chunk of his illustrious career and it became a part of his preparation with time.
In a career spanning 24 years, Tendulkar played 200 Tests and 463 ODIs for India, scoring the world record number of runs (15921 in Tests and 18426 in ODIs) and centuries (51 in Tests and 49 in ODIs).
Commenting on mental health, which has sparked a debate in the COVID times with players spending plenty of time in bio-bubbles, Tendulkar said acceptability is the key.
“Over period of time I realised that besides preparing physically for a game, you have to prepare yourself mentally also. In my mind the match started long before I entered the ground. The anxiety levels were very high,” Tendulkar said in an interaction organised by Unacademy, as quoted by PTI.
“I felt the anxiety for 10-12 years, had many sleepless nights before a game. Later on I started accepting that it was part of my preparation. Then I made peace with times I was not able to sleep in the night. I would start doing something to keep my mind comfortable.”
That “something” included making tea, ironing clothes, watching TV, among other efforts.
“Making tea, ironing my clothes also helped me prepare for the game. I would pack my bag the day before the game, my brother taught me all of it and it became a habit. I followed the same drill even in the last match I played for India,” said the 48-year-old, who retired from the game in 2013.
According to Tendulkar, a player is bound to go through ups and downs but it is important to acknowledge when one is not in the right frame of mind.
“When there is an injury, physios and doctors examine you and diagnose what is wrong with you. Same is the case with mental health. It is normal for anyone to go through ups and downs and when you hit those lows you need people around.
“Acceptability is the key here. Not just for the player, for people around him also. Once you have accepted you start looking for solutions.”
The batting legend highlighted that one can learn from anyone, like he did from a hotel staff in Chennai during his playing days.
“That person got me dosa in the room and after keeping it on the table, he offered an advice. He pointed out that my elbow guard was restricting my bat swing, which was actually the case. He helped me address that issue.”
(With PTI inputs)
