I’m a World Cup winner but one ball from England star turned me into a scared cardboard cut-out – I was in crisis

AUSSIE showman Glenn Maxwell has revealed however a bouncer from Mark Wood sparked a mental-health situation that threatened his career.

Maxwell descended into slump and needed a interruption from cricket pursuing the 2019 World Cup successful England.

His problems started aft his ain squad thought helium was vulnerable  to abbreviated bowling erstwhile dismissed by West Indies’ speedster Sheldon Cottrell and past Wood.

Maxwell, 36, admits: “I began what proved to beryllium the worst clip of my cricket vocation and would deepen into the worst clip of my life.”

Against England astatine Lord’s, Maxwell tried to uppercut a abbreviated shot from Wood but nicked a drawback down to Jos Buttler.

It followed a dismissal by Cottrell earlier successful the tourney and  Maxwell says radical started making “ridiculous drawback judgments”.

He adds: “A occupation with abbreviated bowling? Me? Are you f***ing  joking? I’ve made a vocation retired of smashing the quickest bowlers successful the satellite each implicit the park.”

The Aussies bushed England by 64 runs and past bushed New Zealand though Maxwell was dismissed by different abbreviated ball, this time  brilliantly caught and bowled by medium-pacer Jimmy Neesham.

Australia’s adjacent crippled was against South Africa astatine Old Trafford.

The time before, erstwhile players usually debar precise accelerated bowling, Maxwell received a 90mph bouncer from Mitchell Starc successful the nets.

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Then came different high-velocity transportation from Pat Cummins  that reared up and struck Maxwell connected the forearm.

He threw down his bat successful fury, believing his limb was broken.

Maxwell aboriginal discovered squad manager Justin Langer had been talking to a radical of journalists.

And Maxwell recalls: “Our manager said thing to the effect of, ‘If you deliberation helium has a occupation with the abbreviated ball, ticker this!’ Then told our guys to bump the s**t retired of me.”

A fewer minutes later, batsman Shaun Marsh was besides struck connected the limb and helium and Maxwell went to hospital.

Maxwell says: “It was successful that car that I came to the realisation that I wanted my limb to beryllium broken.

“If I wasn’t delivering, and the cognition was that I was a resistance connected the team, past f*** it — I whitethorn arsenic good beryllium retired of there.”

The scan showed bruising but nary break. Marsh did endure a interruption and ne'er played for Australia again.

Maxwell passed a fittingness trial but connection had spread. He was  bombarded by South Africa’s accelerated bowlers and caught down for 12 top-edging different bouncer.

The in-form Matthew Wade was called into the squad arsenic an wounded replacement and Maxwell adds: “I was embarrassed to beryllium successful the squad up of Wadey.

“My assurance was shot, positivity had vanished. I felt similar the worst subordinate successful the team.”

After Australia mislaid to England successful the semi-final, Maxwell broke down erstwhile helium saw his parents.

He says: “Mum was conscionable arsenic affectional arsenic maine —  everything came rushing out. She could archer her lad was hurting.”

Instead of taking the interruption helium needed, Maxwell played for Lancashire consecutive aft the World Cup. And past six T20 games successful Australia against Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

During a squad meeting, Maxwell had what felt similar a panic onslaught and afterwards poured retired his emotions with Aussie squad scientist Michael Lloyd.

He adds: “It each came retired — however sick I felt, however scared, what my caput was doing to me.”

Coach Langer was supportive and it was agreed Maxwell would play the archetypal 2 of the six matches past instrumentality a break.

Maxwell explains: “I deliberation my team-mates were stunned. Their disorder was mirrored by the  nationalist — didn’t I conscionable smash a speedy 50 and dependable blessed connected TV?

“But utilizing this facade to look OK had turned maine into a cardboard cut-out.”

Maxwell was astatine location for respective weeks and consulted Dr Ranjit Menon, a psychiatrist specialising successful sports radical who person suffered breakdowns.

The diagnosis was slump and anxiety, with  antidepressants prescribed.

After much than a month, Maxwell began playing nine matches and past came a palmy Big Bash campaign.

He concludes: “I cognize this tin hap again. There person already been moments successful the years since erstwhile anxiousness and accent statesman to build. I cognize I person a hazard of spiralling arsenic rapidly arsenic I did successful 2019.”

•  The Showman by Glenn Maxwell, published by Simon and Schuster, is retired today.