Cricket: Helping those who slip through net

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A former first-class cricketer dressed in an old suit and tie and armed with a note knocked on the office doors of the New Zealand Cricket Players' Association in Mt Eden last year.

The visitor asked if it was possible to see the organisation's chief executive Heath Mills.

Mills came to the door, recognised the man and ushered him in.

Once seated, the ex-player slowly detailed how his life had spiraled out of control since his cricket career ended.

He had played in the amateur era when the love of the game came first and the realities of life were a blissful second because cricket would open doors when retirement intervened. Yet, until the NZCPA opened theirs, those doors had been hard to prise ajar.

Sadly, the former player is one of several to head in the direction of the players' association in the recent past seeking help.

Each year, several requests for help trickle in. Most come from team-mates who have a quiet word to others.

The requests have reached a critical mass and it's why a safety net is being constructed to protect player wellbeing in the professional era and look after those of the past.

There's plenty to look forward to on the cricketing calendar.

The Plunket Shield starts next month and in February and March New Zealand co-hosts the World Cup for a second time.

However, beyond the playing of the game, it's not all rosy.

The Cricketers Hardship Trust was established eight years ago to help past players and their families pay for the likes of medical treatment and funerals. Trustees include former New Zealand opening batsman and current selector Bruce Edgar and the fund currently has about $80,000 in the bank - $10,000 has been distributed in the past six months.

Fundraising from the annual players' golf day, player donations and the occasional man-of-the-match payment go into the kitty.

"It takes incredible courage for players to admit they need help," says Mills, who wanted to protect past players' identities out of respect for their circumstances. "Some have enjoyed extensive first-class careers but, through no fault of their own, ended up in situations with crises which affected their health, family or finances. That's what the Hardship Trust is there for."

As a preventative balance, the NZCPA have also created a Career and Personal Development Programme (CPDP) with an aim of reducing future hardship needs.

Cricket can be a brutal mental sport. In 2012, the New Zealand Herald revealed more than one in five contracted players had sought psychological help over the previous season.

A split-second shot misjudgment, a running-between-the-wickets miscommunication, a delivery pitched millimetres from its intended mark or a dropped catch can have a disproportionate and drastic impact on a player's future.

Cricket's mental victims include greats of the game such as Sir Richard Hadlee, who admitted he suffered from depression. Other top level cricketing existences end tragically, like the dozens of suicides outlined in author David Frith's volumes By His Own Hand (1991) and - sadly updated - Silence of the Heart (2001).

"We have a number of examples of past players who have given the best parts of their lives to the game without significant reward and at high cost," Mills says. "Current players felt obligated to support past players in need and the Hardship Trust concept was born. We'd like to do more but we're limited by the funding available within the trust.

"Contrary to misconceptions, most players don't earn hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. The vast majority of domestic players now earn in the vicinity of $20,000- $40,000.

"In previous generations, they played sport around their jobs. Now the sport has a career path and there are few opportunities to do anything outside that.

"Players are expected to work on their games so much more, which comes at a cost. The upshot is players are scared they can't do anything outside cricket with the onset of retirement."

Mills' thoughts are backed by data recorded in the 2012-13 NZCPA annual report, which revealed 64 per cent of domestic players surveyed didn't know what they wanted to do when they exited cricket.

It's common for cricketers to enter the professional environment straight out of school with ambitions of cracking the international circuit.

The NZCPA recognises that can leave players vulnerable to insecurities and challenges 10-15 years later.

Sanj Silva, who leads the CPDP, says retiring with financial security after a playing career is almost unheard of.

"How many [current] players could make a case to retire post-cricket? Maybe half a dozen? For most, it's six months of seasonal employment.

"We face a barrier of those who expect to get a media, coaching or administrative job once they're out of the game because cricket's been their life. That's seen as the natural progression because all they've done is play cricket but a situation like Craig McMillan being appointed New Zealand's batting coach is the exception rather than the rule.

"The other reality check I throw at players is that of the coaches out there in top jobs. How many last more than four to five years?

"We know how mentally demanding cricket can be. You can get a duck, then spend a couple of days watching your mates get hundreds and then spend more time in the field contemplating your cheap dismissal. Compounding the situation is the thought you could get dropped."

Silva's solution is to get players to accept their direct involvement in cricket will end. He's encouraged by the fact more players see the importance of planning their career outside the game.

"We work on the basis of three pillars - career transition, personal development and risk management. It's not just about getting a degree. Not everyone's a student so they could work at getting a trade. As long as they're doing something towards their retirement - a bad injury means it could come tomorrow.

"They need further skills which can transfer to the working environment. There's also an emphasis on mental health and wellbeing, financial education, drug and alcohol education and relationship advice because they're away from home so often.

"Cricket on its own will not make better players. They need positive distractions. Fortunately, more coaches and administrators are realising this."