No rest for the wicket: Reading cricketer discusses mental health and testing game against world’s best

A FORMER Reading schoolboy is giving the world’s best cricketers a run for their money at the dizzy heights of Lord’s.

Martin Andersson, who attended Crosfields School, is representing Middlesex Cricket Club in this year’s Vitality T20 Blast.

The UK’s premier 20-over competition showcases some of the sport’s biggest names, such as Dwayne Bravo, Marnus Labushagne, Kieron Pollard and Mohammad Rizwan.

The 25-year-old has relished the challenge of testing his game against cricket’s elite.

Andersson said: “You grow up seeing these guys on TV and now you’re facing them, it’s definitely nerve-racking.

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“Especially when it comes to T20, where you can get whacked and it can go really badly, you have to just go out there and try to enjoy it.

“It’s why you want to play, and I see it as a challenge.”

Andersson has taken 15 wickets at the time of writing, making him the tournament’s fifth leading wicket taker.

Like many cricketers his age, the former Berkshire cricket star was introduced to the game through the 2005 Ashes.

He reminisced about going to a friend’s house to watch the historic series, aged eight, popping into the garden between sessions to recreate his heroes’ shots.

His enthusiasm for the game led him to join Reading Cricket Club as a cult, particularly enjoying the team nature of the sport – he was ‘hooked’.

Andersson said: “I found it was something I was good at and came quite naturally to me. It’s always good to feel like you’re good at something.

“I was also pretty big for my age and just enjoyed batting. Alongside all the drama we’d see on TV, it was a sport that grabbed my attention.”

The all-rounder was quick to attribute a portion of his success to the resources available to him at Crosfields School and Reading Cricket Club.

“I can’t lie, I was lucky and fortunate to have gone to a school and played at a club which had great facilities and coaches,” he said.

“They played a massive part in my career, and I’m well aware of the difficulties there are in terms of access.”

Such was his drive to succeed, Andersson was able to negotiate the distractions and pitfalls that often hinder young athletes at school and university.

However, he admitted that a former teacher’s words of wisdom had resonated with him.

“I remember having a conversation with a teacher at secondary school who was into his cricket. I think I was in Year 10,” Andersson explained.

“He just said, ‘If you want to be a cricketer, you’re going to have to give something back to the school and nail your academics to make sure you’ve got time for your cricket.’

“That really hit home, and of course your social life has to take a back seat, but it wasn’t horrific at all.

“I think people who don’t love the sport will see it as a sacrifice, but it didn’t feel like that for me because cricket was all I wanted to do.”

Notwithstanding Andersson’s self-belief, having a back-up plan gave him the peace of mind to know he always had a viable alternative if cricket didn’t work out.

His teacher’s words only consolidated his on-field performance, as Andersson was able to secure his first professional contract as an A-level student.

“We were on the second day of a T20 finals day around seven years ago,” he explained.

“I was just finishing school, and I ended up playing really well in the final and playing a big part in helping the team win.”

“It was a great feeling and looking back, it was a pretty pivotal moment in my career as I managed to get my first pro contract off the back of that.”

Andersson has since gone from strength to strength in all formats of the domestic game.

The former Reading resident has enjoyed the Blast’s shorter set-up, proving particularly fruitful with the ball.

The right-arm medium pacer’s list of victims include Jason Roy, Sam Billings, Tim Seifert, Zak Crawley, James Vince and Ben McDermott.

Andersson cited the wicket of Vince as his most memorable thus far. Coming at a crucial moment in a significant game, he was able to prove to himself that he could bowl well under pressure.

The wicket prevented the Hampshire skipper from reaching his half-century with Middlesex eventually coming out on top.

Being an all-rounder has allowed Andersson to impress in all facets of the game but has required some additional willpower.

“You’ve got to be dedicated in ticking everything off so you’re ready for matchday,” he said. “You’ve got to be prepared to be the first in and last out of training.

“But I see it as a big positive because you get two, or four, goes at putting in a good performance, where people who just bat or just bowl only have one or two.”

It’s not all been plain sailing for Andersson, however, who has suffered a number of injuries throughout his fledgling career.

The University of Leeds alumnus has been forced to persevere during these challenging moments.

“The doubts around injuries and how long they would take to heal are probably the hardest things to deal with,” he explained.

“You wonder whether you’re going to come back and worry about the wasted time. It’s quite difficult to be patient when you’re young.

“You see the world’s best and they’re experts at knowing their limits and when not to push their bodies as hard if they feel like something isn’t right.”

Andersson acknowledged the role Middlesex’s physios have played in helping him throughout his recoveries.

The club has also supported its players’ mental health, providing outlets for employees to speak to professionals where necessary.

“When I first started out and made it into the pro spheres, I don’t remember talking about it at all, like it just wouldn’t be spoken about,” Andersson explained.

“But now it’s definitely more normalised, it’s something we speak about more now.

“I have a psychologist that I speak to, not necessarily just when things are going badly, but to try to train the brain in the build-up to games, in the same way you would your muscles.

“Mental health is definitely something we do talk about as a group now.”