Australian fast bowler Shaun Tait announces his indefinite break from cricket, citing exhaustion. New Zealand batsman Lou Vincent announces that he is battling depression and is unsure if he'll play international cricket again. These are just two instances of recent alarms over player burnout - a topic that has been more often dismissed than discussed. Cricinfo took this very topic during their last Roundtable hosted by Sanjay Manjrekar with Kumar Sangakkara and former English cricketer David Lloyd as participants.

Sanjay took the bull by its horns and opened the discussion head-on when he said, "Player burnout has claimed another victim, this time, one who is just three Tests old (referring to Shaun Tait). Close on the heels of Tait's announcement, New Zealand's Lou Vincent revealed that he was undergoing treatment for depression. Modern-day cricket places huge demands on the cricketers. Unrealistic expectations, media pressure, easy stardom and big money all play a major role in cricket today".

Citing the example of another English cricketer, Marcus Trescothick, David Lloyd said, "It's a really interesting subject and something that has crept on since the incident with Marcus Trescothick. Back in the 60s, 70s and 80s, when I was playing mostly county cricket with a little bit of Test match cricket; there was pressure there but it was pressure that you wanted to respond to. To see it now and from a commentary position, you would notice that there are lots of cameras and I would say it is a totally different game from a marketing aspect"

Kumar Sangakkara, on his part, conceded that over the years the level of cricket being played and the skills involved are largely the same. But he adds, "The pressure is still the same to perform. The only thing that has changed is that your performance is scrutinised more; you are always under a microscope. Every single shot you play, every decision that you take is dissected, analysed and then criticised, not just during the match but maybe a week or so after, in the media. The other thing is that players earn their full livelihood from cricket these days and because of that cricket becomes the centre of their lives. Every single match that you play now matters to the players in more ways than one. Of course, national pride is involved; it's a platform to show your ability to the world, but also your survival depends on your performance - surviving in the team, surviving in the top level and thereby earning your living".

Sangakkara also has a very practical suggestion on how to deal with burnout when he says, "I believe you can teach players and make them aware of how to deal with these situations, in simpler, more practical, more effective ways and that's where sports psychologists come into the picture. This will give the players a lot more breathing space and a definitive idea as to what they will encounter here".

Sanjay Manjrekar, on the other hand rightly wonders about the Indian angle. He asks, "When you talk about media scrutiny there is no better example than India. You have a Sachin Tendulkar and a Saurav Ganguly who want to keep playing and extend their career - they aren't feeling the pressure. So, did Vincent, Tait and Trescothick feel the pressure more than others?"

Sangakkara acknowledges the Indian part and added, "I think out of the four teams from the subcontinent, the Indian players are the ones who are under the most amount of pressure. I remember when Vinod Kambli came onto the scene, I watched him and thought what a great player he was. But for some reason after a fantastic start to his career, he seemed to just fade away". But he also offers an insight that has helped some of these teams keep up with the pace. "I have seen Sachin talking a lot of the younger players; you have him talking about batting, bowling, about life. When I came into the Sri Lankan team, I had Arjuna Ranatunga sitting and talking to me, not just about cricket but about touring, how to be focussed on the games and how to take downtime away from cricket".

David Lloyd suggestion is somewhat on the professional level. "In any sport, the psychology of identifying the player who needs a bit of help is very important. There has been a stigma all along about help for players and no more so than right now; a number of players do need help".

Sangakkara has the final word on the issue. " Sometimes, it is not just about how the individual reacts to the media pressure but also about how the individual reacts to the way he sees other people reacting to the stories about him. Cricket, even though it is a team sport, is still an individual-team sport. When you are out in the middle, it's still you who has to deliver. At the end of the day, individuals are marked out. The team does feel the pressure, but individuals feel it more and they feel very alone even in a team environment when they are going through a bad phase. You have to be mentally tough. Lots of people have different ideas on what mental toughness is but I think it is a combination of things - how you are proactive; for how long can you bring all your senses to bear on one particular moment and situation."

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