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Pant didn’t keep wicket during the series opener in Mumbai, after sustaining a concussion

Vishal Dikshit in Rajkot17-Jan-2020India have called up Andhra wicketkeeper-batsman KS Bharat as cover for the injured Rishabh Pant, just before the second ODI in Rajkot on Friday. While KL Rahul is expected to keep wickets in Rajkot, Bharat has been added to the squad in case the Indian team needs cover. Bharat has joined the squad and was training with the team ahead of the toss.Pant didn’t keep wicket during the series opener in Mumbai, after sustaining a concussion towards the end of India’s innings when he tried to pull a bouncer from Pat Cummins. The ball ricocheted off his bat, onto his helmet and then lobbed to point for an easy catch. Pant did not take the field and later flew to the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru for rehab, while Rahul kept wicket. Pant’s scans came clear from the hospital but he was ruled out of the second ODI and could be fit in time to play the third and final game of the series on Sunday in Bengaluru.While Bharat has impressed more in first-class matches for India A in the last few years, he got a call up for ODIs because Sanju Samson, whom the selectors have identified as the next keeper in line for limited-overs matches, is in New Zealand with the India A team that won its opening match on Friday. Bharat has played 74 first-class matches and scored 4143 runs at 37.66, he averages 28.14 in 51 List A games with a strike rate of just under 70.

Royals won’t rush into replacement for fast bowler despite stress fracture in right elbow

Andrew Miller07-Feb-2020Rajasthan Royals have not given up hope of Jofra Archer playing some part in this year’s IPL, according to their head coach, Andrew McDonald, in spite of the fast bowler being diagnosed with a stress fracture of the right elbow.Archer missed the last three Tests of England’s tour of South Africa, amid concerns about his workload, having bowled more than 400 overs for his country since debuting in May last year – more than any other England player for the entire calendar year.He was left in tears after being withdrawn from the fourth Test in Johannesburg on the morning of the match, and after returning to London, a low-grade fracture was detected in his elbow once the swelling had gone down.ALSO READ: Archer out of Sri Lanka tour with elbow stress fractureThe ECB duly confirmed on Thursday that Archer would be sitting out the two-Test tour of Sri Lanka that gets underway in mid-March, adding that he was ruled out of the entire IPL season too, with a view to being fit and ready for a home international season that features Test series against West Indies and Pakistan, and an ODI campaign against Australia.However, with another scan anticipated in four weeks’ time, and England’s first Test against West Indies not beginning until early June, two weeks after the anticipated conclusion of this year’s IPL, McDonald said that Rajasthan Royals would await further updates before considering any replacement for their premier strike bowler, whom they secured for £800,000 (INR 7.20 crore) at the 2018 IPL auction.”It is a blow but these things always confront teams,” McDonald told ESPNcricinfo. “These are the setbacks that you have to contend with. First and foremost, our thoughts are with Jofra. Getting an elbow injury when you are at the top of your game is far from ideal, but watching him from afar it’s been great to see what he’s been able to achieve this year.”We’ll see what happens,” he added. “The ECB have been reasonably solid on ruling him out of the IPL, but we still hold out some hope that he may recover. We’ll get those details over the next 24-48 hours as to the extent of the injury, and we’ll work with the ECB as to what that may or may not look like.”I’m sure he’s keen [to play in the IPL]. He loves playing for Rajasthan, but injuries happen, and until more details come to light, we will always hold out hope for a player of that quality. It doesn’t look good at the moment, but we won’t be in any rush to replace him at this moment in time.”Andrew McDonald, head coach of Rajasthan Royals•Rajasthan Royals

Were Rajasthan to consider a replacement for Archer, that player would have to come from those names who registered for December’s auction but went unsold. Among the fast bowlers who might come into consideration are Archer’s fellow England quick Mark Wood, who is one of only a handful of players capable of matching his consistent 90mph-plus pace, and the West Indian Alzarri Joseph. But given the pool of seam bowlers still available to Rajasthan, McDonald backed the rest of his squad to fill the void.”We’ll work out ways to cover off his absence,” he said. “There’s no rush to sign a replacement unless other teams have injuries and are fighting for the same players. And we might not even be looking for a like-for-like either, because we feel like we’ve got some depth there in the bowling category.”There aren’t too many Jofra Archers out there but, off the back of the auction, we’ve been able on build a pretty flexible and adaptable squad.”ALSO READ: Anderson puts himself forward for SL selectionMcDonald singled out his overseas trio of Tom Curran, AJ Tye and Oshane Thomas as three of the likeliest men to step into Archer’s role, but added that the success of India’s squad at the Under-19 World Cup had potentially increased his options as well. The team take on Bangladesh in Sunday’s final in Potchefstroom, with Kartik Tyagi and Akash Singh having excelled along the way with 18 wickets between them.”It’s been exciting to watch them,” McDonald said. “The coverage of the tournament has been sensational, you get to see them closer than ever before on TV, and with Yashasvi Jaiswal impressing with the bat too, we’ve got some really good young talent in our team list. It feels as though we’ve got the coverage there already, so we may be able to structure up differently with that last overseas slot if we do have to replace Jofra.”For McDonald himself, the Archer news has been a setback ahead of his first stint as an IPL head coach, but he has no concerns that it will destabilise the team dynamic in the final lead-up to the tournament.”Coaching is all about that preparation phase,” he said. “If you can get that right, you can prepare your players for everything that may be coming up in a game or a series, or over a period of time.”Commentary is all about the hindsight, but our job as coaches is the preparation. You are constantly looking to evaluate, and have conversations with your players that break them down into individuals before bringing them back together as a team closer to the game.”That may be a two-minute conversation, or 60 seconds with the group as a collective, but also making sure that you have a team behind your team with the right blend of personalities in the back-room staff to give the players the best preparation.”if you can do that, and stay level throughout the ups and downs of a tournament, including the moving parts such as Jofra’s injury, then you’re giving yourself a chance to get more decisions right.”

Left-arm spinner recalls thinking to himself: “Don’t fall asleep because you might not wake up”

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Mar-2020Left-arm spinner Jack Leach has revealed that he feared for his life after contracting sepsis on England’s tour of New Zealand, admitting there was a point at which he thought to himself: “Don’t fall asleep because you might not wake up”.Leach suffers from Crohn’s disease, an inflammatory bowel disease that requires him to take regular medication which weakens his immune system. After playing in the first Test of England’s series in New Zealand, he contracted gastroenteritis, and was later hospitalised with a bout of sepsis caused by his body’s response to the illness.ALSO READ: Sickness concerns mean no handshakes for England in Sri Lanka“I didn’t know too much about it at the time, how serious it could be, but I remember feeling very, very ill,” Leach told the PA news agency.”I remember thinking, ‘Don’t fall asleep because you might not wake up’. It was that serious in terms of how I was feeling.”I was out of it, really. My blood pressure was dropping quickly, my heart-rate was 190 and my temperature was 40 degrees. That’s when they called an ambulance and got me to hospital. Once I got there, got the antibiotics in my arm and on to a drip, I started to feel better quite quickly but it still took a couple of nights in hospital and I was probably still recovering when I flew back from New Zealand. It took longer to get over than I thought.”Leach returned to the UK after that tour before flying out to South Africa with the rest of the England squad, but his preparations ahead of that series were blighted as he was affected badly by the sickness bug that went around the touring party.”I picked up a couple of things out there and my body couldn’t cope with it,” he said.”Other people got ill but I struggled to fight it off as well as a healthy person. The medication I’m on for Crohn’s weakens my immune system, so it is just a bit more of a struggle.”You can start to feel fine in general but playing high-level sport is a completely different thing and that’s probably something I didn’t think about enough.”As sportsmen we try to push through pain. You don’t want to be weak mentally or physically but unfortunately that was the situation: I was weak physically. With your health you sometimes have to take a step back.”England have taken precautions in an attempt to ensure that their squad is not affected by illness on their tour of Sri Lanka, having landed on Tuesday, with captain Joe Root confirming the players would not be shaking hands with one another and medical staff giving out ‘immunity packs’.And while the global crisis surrounding the outbreak of coronavirus is a concern, Leach admitted that he was reassured by the fact that only one case has been confirmed in Sri Lanka so far.”I’ve come to a safer place,” Leach said. “I’ve been nervous in England but I feel fine here.”I guess I am a little bit more concerned than others. These things affect the older generation a bit more but with the medication I’m on, my immune system might be similar to that. We’ve been given packs to use with wipes, hand sanitiser, we’re drinking bottled water. I just have to do the right things and keep my fingers crossed.”Dom Bess came into the England squad as cover for Leach in South Africa•Getty Images

England have coped with Leach’s absence this winter thanks in part to the international emergence of his Somerset team-mate Dom Bess, who impressed in South Africa after being called into the squad as a late replacement.But Leach will have an important role in Sri Lanka, as the only member of the spin trio that took a combined 48 wickets on England’s last tour in 2018-19 still in the squad, with Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid both missing.His involvement in the series briefly looked doubtful on account of a calf injury, but he had been bowling at Taunton and Loughborough before departure and is confident that he will be fit to play.”I had a little setback with my calf a couple of weeks ago but I’m recovering well. I’m still maybe a little bit off but we’ve got a bit of time, so it’s about progressively getting back.”I’ll be bowling in training and see how we go. The main part of the tour is two Test matches and I’ll be doing everything I can to be back for them.”I look back with fond memories on the last tour. It was nice to be part of that with Mo and Adil – I learned a lot from them. It’s a different spin group this time but it’s going to be more of the same in terms of what we do. I’ve definitely got some ideas that helped me last time that I’ll be passing on to the boys. It’s going to be good fun.”

Redevelopment of Compton and Edrich stands will continue for the time being

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Apr-2020Construction work on the new Compton and Edrich stands at Lord’s is to continue, despite the UK’s ongoing lockdown in response to the COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) outbreak.The MCC has extended its closure of the ground until the end of May, as well as cancelling a planned AGM. Chief executive, Guy Lavender, also confirmed in a letter to members that more than half of the club’s staff has been furloughed as part of the government’s coronavirus job retention scheme.ALSO READ: Fees waived as recreational cricket feels coronavirus strainThe UK’s lockdown rules mean that all but essential members of the workforce are being encouraged to work from home, but they have not put a halt on construction. The redevelopment of the two stands either side of the Lord’s media centre is due to be completed by May 2021 but would be able to accommodate spectators this summer – although the shape of the fixture list is now very much open to change.Work at Lord’s, which will increase capacity to 31,000, is being carried out by construction firm ISG and will continue unless government advice changes.”The construction of the Compton and Edrich stands is continuing for the time being,” Lavender wrote. “At present, ISG wish to continue to work as do their sub-contractors. We have discussed and supported their plans to enable safe working and adherence to government advice.”This includes two-metre distancing, additional parking and vehicle transportation, enlarged rest areas to maintain separation, proactive management and on-site monitoring.”This phase of construction is entirely open plan and does not involve enclosed working. Should the government issue instruction for construction to stop, ISG will adhere to this immediately.”The MCC has also opened up use of 75 parking spaces at Lord’s for staff working at local hospitals, as well as providing storage for the Wellington Hospital, located just to the north of the ground. Surplus food has been provided to City Harvest London, which redistributes to help feed the hungry.

Insists series is not yet in doubt despite test results

George Dobell23-Jun-2020Ashley Giles has admitted he is “concerned” by the news of Pakistan players testing positive for Covid-19 but insists at this stage he does not think the series against England is in doubt.The Pakistan squad was planning on leaving for England on Sunday with a Test series scheduled to start on August 5. But it was announced on Monday that three Pakistan players – Haider Ali, Shadab Khan and Haris Rauf – had tested positive for the virus. Other Pakistan squad members are expected to receive their test results on Tuesday.But while Giles, the managing director of England men’s cricket, conceded the situation was far from ideal, he did not feel the news put the series in doubt.ALSO READ: Three Pakistan players test positive for Covid-19“It is a concern,” Giles said. “Obviously I’m most concerned about those players who tested positive and their welfare.”At the moment, I don’t think the series is in doubt. We are far enough away from the start of the Test series to not worry about that too much at the moment. There are some more test results coming out later from the rest of the group so we will see what those say, but we are still hopefully that the Pakistan team will be arriving in the country fairly soon.”With numbers of Covid-19 cases in Pakistan rising sharply and now reduced to pre-lockdown levels in the UK, the management of both sides had agreed it would be wise for the Pakistan squad to travel to England as soon as possible. It now looks likely the squad will be isolated at Derbyshire CCC, which features a hotel within its ground, for a few weeks. The original plan to train at Edgbaston was thrown into doubt as the ground does not contain an on-site hotel.”The situation in Pakistan is not great at the moment and our thoughts go out to the whole country,” Giles continued. “But clearly it is important we get that team and those guys in our country and we can get on with that series. We need to get our opposition in country. Anything that puts that at risk is clearly a problem.Giles has insisted that Pakistan’s tour is not yet in doubt•Getty Images

“There are a number of hurdles to cross. That’s why we are trying to create environments that mitigate as much risk as we possibly can. All of this carries uncertainty, even to a degree the West Indies series, because we know how fast-moving this situation has been around the world. We have been very careful at every step, but do we really know what’s round the corner? No.ALSO READ: ‘Big risk’ – PCB director of sports medicine on England tour“It’s such a far-reaching issue, global issue that is affecting everyone. It’s far more important than sport. But we are hopeful that if we can get international sport on, it will be a real fillip for many people around the world.”Whatever doubts there may be over the Pakistan series, preparation for the series between England and West Indies are continuing. England’s 30-man training group will arrive at the Ageas Bowl on Tuesday afternoon to begin their ‘behind closed doors’ training period, while West Indies are starting a three-day inter-squad warm-up match at Emirates Old Trafford.Each member of the England squad, including support staff, will be tested for Covid-19 upon arrival and will be expected to isolate in the hotel – mainly in their bedrooms – for the first 24 hours and until the results of those tests are confirmed. The first day of training will be on Thursday. Half the group will train each morning and the other half each afternoon. They start a three-day practice match, which could yet carry first-class status, on July 1.

Blackwood proves patient with 95 after Gabriel’s five-wicket haul keeps tourists’ target to 200

The Report by Matt Roller12-Jul-2020West Indies went 1-0 up in England for the first time since 2000 thanks to a superb 95 from Jermaine Blackwood which guided them to a target of 200 on the final day with four wickets to spare.Their seamers had set up the win with a burst of five wickets on the fourth evening just as the game had started to look as though it was petering out into a draw, but it was Blackwood who dealt the killer blow with a superb knock on the final day.Coming in at 27 for 3 with John Campbell retired hurt soon before lunch, Blackwood made England pay for their misses. He was put down twice, on 5 and on 20, and offered regular run-out chances at several points in his innings. But he batted brilliantly, pulling and cutting his way out of short-ball barrages from Jofra Archer and lofting drives over extra cover as he grew in fluency. He gave away a chance for only his second Test hundred on 95, but the returning Campbell scrambled a single into the leg side just before 6pm to take West Indies over the line.ALSO READ: ‘More determined, more focused after being dropped’ – BlackwoodEngland needed their tailenders to hang around on the final morning and Archer in particular obliged, flashing hard to pick up three boundaries to push the target up to 200. But Mark Wood edged a cut through to Shane Dowrich backing away before Archer gloved a short ball behind, giving Shannon Gabriel a five-wicket haul and nine in the match in his first first-class game for 10 months.That left 200 to win. Phil Simmons had stressed on the fourth evening that Kraigg Brathwaite would be “the glue” in the fourth innings, with others batting around him, so there was immediate pressure on the openers.But perhaps Simmons hadn’t counted on Archer. Campbell survived an lbw shout when Archer speared a yorker in at his feet, but his big toe did not: he hobbled off two overs later, and spent most of the day with an ice pack on. Archer sensed an opening and flew through it, piercing Brathwaite’s tentative defensive shot as he dragged one on before trapping Shamarh Brooks plumb in front with a full inswinger.Shai Hope got up and running with a pair of elegant cover drives off James Anderson as if to tempt West Indies supporters into dreaming of a Headingley repeat, but a loose drive soon followed which Wood burst through with a full ball that seamed in to clean him up. That left West Indies 27 for 3 moments before lunch, with Campbell retired hurt, and it was difficult to envisage any other result than an England win.But Roston Chase and Blackwood came out after lunch with determination and enough positive intent to keep the equation ticking down. Blackwood in particular rode his luck. On five, he edged a cut shot to Stokes at slip, but was reprieved by England’s captain outsmarting himself, running round towards point in anticipation only to be wrong-footed when the chance came to his left.Shannon Gabriel walks off with the ball raised aloft for his five-for•Getty Images

Blackwood, who had spent the best part of two-and-a-half years out of the side going into this series, had looked his old, frenetic self in the first innings, playing what Dom Bess said was a “rogue shot” when running down the track and slashing to mid-off. But in the run chase, he instead managed to settle into a rhythm.He and Chase were given testing examinations against the short ball. Jos Buttler dropped a chance off Stokes when Blackwood gloved down the leg side on 20, before Zak Crawley fumbled a run-out chance in the covers to offer another reprieve. A third in as many overs arrived when Rory Burns shelled an edge in the gully – though it would not have counted as Stokes had overstepped – and Blackwood made England pay for their profligacy.In particular, he cut and pulled purposefully, scoring the majority of his runs behind square. An upper-cut off Archer was the pick of the bunch, and he survived a brutal spell from him that accounted for Chase, caught behind off a lifter aimed at his chin. Chase’s struggles against the short ball have been well-documented, and it was a classic, calculated set-up; a yorker fired in outside off, followed by a steepling bumper he failed to evade.But Dowrich joined Blackwood in the middle and saw them through to tea, starting busily before settling into his innings and ticking over calmly and comfortably. There was time for a twist after tea. After Blackwood fired Wood through the covers and over mid-off for two boundaries in four balls, Stokes decided that it was up to him to make the breakthrough. He looked furious when he realised he had overstepped after Dowrich poked to slip, but made up for it next ball, reversing one away from the outside edge as Buttler took the catch behind the stumps.Blackwood looked intent on reaching three figures, itching to take singles leading to several mix-ups with the new man Jason Holder, but continued to time the ball beautifully, upper-cutting Stokes over the cordon to move to 95. He threw away a golden opportunity for a ton, caught at mid-off for the second time in the match, but nobody was asking questions of his spot in the side after this “rogue shot”.Campbell walked out at No. 8, eking out singles to take the equation into single figures, before he slashed a cut past gully and snuck a single off the pads to take West Indies to a famous win, with Holder, the inspirational captain, running through to seal the victory.

England Test spinner will reportedly move to Yorkshire after declining contract extension

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Aug-2020Somerset have confirmed that Dom Bess will leave the club at the end of the 2020 season having declined a contract extension, with England’s incumbent Test spinner reportedly set to join Yorkshire.Bess made his first-class debut for Somerset in 2016 but has had to make do with limited opportunities due to the presence of Jack Leach, also a rival for the England berth. Bess went out on loan to Yorkshire during the 2019 season, and then subsequently shot back into contention for the Test side after being called up as cover for the winter tour of South Africa.He played in Cape Town and Port Elizabeth, where he took a maiden five-wicket haul, and then featured ahead of Leach in all six behind-closed-doors Tests this summer – although twice was not required to bowl.However, with left-armer Leach still first choice at Somerset, Bess has opted to move on in search of first-team cricket, leaving behind the Taunton pitches that encouraged both players’ development. Overall, he claimed 79 first-class wickets at 27.29 for Somerset, but only featured in three List A games and once in T20.”This is not a decision that I’ve taken lightly,” Bess said. “I’ve been with Somerset since joining the Academy, I’ve grown up here and some of my best friends are in the team with me.”It’s been a really hard decision. There were good discussions with the club and they offered a contract extension, however I think it’s the right decision in terms of needing first-team opportunities. Given the direction that I want to go with my cricket I think it’s time to move on.”I want to thank the Somerset fans for everything they’ve done in terms of supporting me and the whole team when we’re out on the pitch. That’s always meant a lot to me. Somerset is a special place and hopefully I can help to play a part in the team being even more successful before I leave.”With his contract due to expire, Bess had attracted interest from Warwickshire, while Yorkshire’s coach, Andrew Gale, said last year that they were keen to make the signing permanent. Should Bess, who has 19 wickets at 40.57 from his ten Tests, win an England central contract then his new club would not have to carry him on their wage bill.

New deal to make Jurgensen the longest serving NZ coach with nine years at the helm

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Sep-2020Former Queensland fast bowler Shane Jurgensen has extended his contract by a further two years as New Zealand bowling coach, thereby making him the longest serving coach for the national side. Jurgensen’s new deal is set to keep him in charge until the end of 2022, which would accumulate in a total of nine years with New Zealand, including his previous stint from 2008-10.”It’s a huge honour to continue my coaching journey with New Zealand Cricket,” he said. “I love my job and feel lucky to have been involved with such a special group of players and support staff for the past five years.”We’ve had some amazing experiences as a team and I’m looking forward to working alongside Gary [Stead, the head coach] and Kane [Williamson, the captain] as we prepare for an exciting summer. It’s a privilege to work with such a world class bowling unit and I’m proud of the depth we’ve added to the group which has us well prepared for the variety of challenges ahead.”Jurgensen had also been instrumental in the rise of Bangladesh when he was with them for three years until 2015, having also coached Fiji and advised Scotland earlier. Gary Stead, New Zealand’s head coach, acknowledged the impact that Jurgensen has had on the bowlers and looked forward to “having his energy and passion around the group for another couple of years”.”Shane’s done an outstanding job with the bowlers over the past five years and you only have to look at their performances to see his impact,” Stead said.”He obviously possesses a wealth of knowledge and experience, but I think it’s his planning and work ethic that has helped get the best out of our top players consistently. His influence also extends beyond the Black Caps with his knowledge and leadership helping shape the wider NZC pace-bowling system which is already reaping rewards.”

The limited-overs tour across the Tasman early next year proved too difficult to schedule due to quarantine requirements

Andrew McGlashan24-Sep-2020New Zealand’s limited-overs tour to Australia early next year has been postponed because the quarantine requirements at both ends of the trip would make it too difficult to fit into the schedule but their home summer has been given government approval.The international summer has been handed the green light after confirmation of quarantine and managed isolation plans for touring teams. Initially that covers the visits of West Indies and Pakistan, but NZC is hopeful it will extend to Bangladesh, the Australia men’s and women’s team and the England women’s side early next year.Pakistan and West Indies are due to play two Tests and three T20s on their visits with Bangladesh slated for a limited-overs tour, the Australia men’s side for T20s and a women’s tri-series during February in the gap created by the postponement of the Women’s ODI World Cup.”It’s a huge boost for us, it’s our financial lifeline,” NZC CEO David White said. “International cricket funds the whole game in New Zealand so it’s very important. It won’t come cheap, we’ll be footing the bill, but we are happy to do that.”The men’s trip to Australia had been due to include three ODIs and a single T20, initially scheduled to take place from late January although there had been a possibility of those dates being altered to try and give the closing stages of the Big Bash a clear window so that Australian international players could take part.New Zealand’s one-day series in Australia earlier this year was curtailed by the Covid-19 pandemic when the team had to fly home ahead of borders closing. The first match had been played behind closed doors at the SCG with two subsequent games called off.”That 14-day managed isolation at both sides of the Tasman is a challenge,” White said. “We’ve worked with Cricket Australia on that will be fulfilling our obligations the following year.”The postponement of the tour means that the only men’s visiting team to Australia this season could be India with the one-off Test against Afghanistan facing challenges to remain in the schedule due.NZC will announce its home fixtures and venues next week but Christchurch is the favoured location for the managed isolation of visiting teams who would be able to train at the high performance centre at Lincoln.There will be a phased isolation period for visiting squads, and New Zealand players returning from the IPL, with the first three days confined to hotel rooms before training can begin in bubbles that increase in size up to 15 by the end of the two-week period during which they will be tested for Covid-19 multiple times. Once that fortnight is complete players are able to move around as normal members of the public.West Indies will be the first visitors of the season and the IPL-based players will share a flight with their New Zealand counterparts from the UAE.White also confirmed there are plans for a series of New Zealand A matches during the visits by West Indies and Pakistan so that all the players involved in enlarged squads are able to play cricket.

Fast bowler admits the transition to post-playing career has been tough

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Oct-2020Mitchell Johnson has revealed he’s been struggling with depression since retiring from professional cricket in 2018.Johnson, who took 313 wickets in 73 Test appearances, including 37 at 13.97 in a legendary display of fast bowling in the 2013-14 Ashes, spoke emotionally about the issue during the filming of Channel 7’s SAS Australia.”I’ve found it tougher since retiring from cricket,” Johnson said. “All of a sudden, you’re not doing as much. You sort of lose your purpose a little bit.”Now aged 38, Johnson retired from Test cricket in 2015 but played on for three further seasons in the IPL and Big Bash.”I struggle with, probably, confidence at times. I’m in that transition now where I’ve been out of playing cricket for about two years,” he said.And when asked by the presenters if he’d found retirement hard, Johnson responded: “Yeah plenty of times. I found out I’ve got depression … but I think the depression was something I’ve had even from a younger age.”It [cricket] sort of blocked things out in a way. It sort of hid the depression, but there was a lot of times where you would go back to your room, you’re away from family and you start to dwell on things.”Through my cricket career, I actually just dealt with it [depression]. It’s just about me now actually moving forward and taking it upon myself to be active with certain things, to keep my mind going.”Johnson suspected that the lifestyle of an international cricketer had at times exacerbated his condition, particularly on long tours away from home, and said that he had found Australia’s tour of South Africa in 2011 a particular challenge.That tour came off the back of Australia’s home Ashes defeat in 2010-11, in which Johnson’s erratic form had been regularly mocked by the Barmy Army, and he admitted that it had “got to the point where I wasn’t enjoying being a professional cricketer”, and that he “took everything personally”.”You have your moments where you struggle with it really bad and it can be tricky when you’ve got a lot of time to think about things,” Johnson said.”You’ve just got no control whatsoever and your mind starts playing those tricks on you, you start thinking of the worst.”