Sarah Taylor has withdrawn from the ongoing Ashes series. (Source: ECB Twitter)England wicketkeeper Sarah Taylor has withdrawn herself from England’s T20 squad in order to manage her mental health. She said that ‘mental health is not something you beat but a continual management process.
This is not the first time that Sarah has skipped a tournament due to her mental health. Sarah was earlier ruled out of World T20 in November, 2018 because of a relapse of anxiety related issues.
In a statement by England Cricket Board, which came a few hours before the first T20I against Australia, Taylor said that she made ‘progress’ over the past three years but will not take part in the three-match Twenty20 series.
“I first took a break from the game in 2016,” explained Taylor, in the ECB’s press release, referring to a self-imposed year long absence from the sport. “But I don’t want people to feel this is exactly the same. I’ve made progress in that time and there are plenty of challenges I’ve met on the way and hurdles I’ve overcome.”
“That said, mental health is not something you ‘beat’. It’s a continual management process and at the moment I don’t feel in a good enough place to compete in international sport,” she added.
If England win all the three T20Is, they have a chance of drawing the series with Australia, who lead 8-2. Taylor, who has been replaced by Fran Wilson in the squad, added: “I wish the girls all the best. Eight all is a very different score from 8-2 and I know they’re all working incredibly hard to win these last three matches and draw the series.”
