'Sleeping tablets helped me fall asleep' - AB de Villiers makes shocking revelations about fighting anxiety issues
Footballer Dele Ali and Australian batter Steve Smith also have spoken about their struggle to sleep before big games
AB de Villiers admitted that he faced anxiety issues before big games, and as a result of this, he had to take pills to sleep before the match. The former Proteas skipper recently opened up about his struggles as a player and made some revealations. It is pertinent to mention that Australian batter Steve Smith and footballer Dele Ali have also talked about being addicted to sleeping pills in the past.
AB de Villiers, fondly known as Mr. 360, also admitted that he had a sleeping issue before the West Indies match in the 2015 ODI World Cup. Notably, de Villiers scored the fastest 150 in ODI cricket in the mentioned game against the Windies.
“I can relate to this because I had similar issues before big games, really struggling to sleep. Sleeping tablets helped me fall asleep and it can become a problem after a while because the tablet only doesn’t make you sleep, it makes you feel really relaxed, takes a bit of anxiety away and you just feel in a very good space,” said de Villiers on his YouTube channel.
AB de Villiers recalled the anxiety issue he faced during the 2015 ODI World Cup-
“I very clearly remember the game in the 2015 World Cup. It was the night before we played the West Indies. I actually ended up scoring a hundred which was very surprising - one of the best knocks of my life,” he further added.
“But that night, I literally slept for 2-3 hours maximum. At 3 am, I got the doctor over to my room, got an injection and I just couldn’t sleep. I had stomach cramps and it was purely based around anxiety, stress and pressure, thinking about the next big game, which was a must-win for us,” concluded the former South African skipper.
In the end, big names like ABD addressing mental issues and anxiety problems for cricket players is very inspiring because it will motivate other cricketers to open up if they face similar issues. Before this, Indian star batter and legend of the game, Sachin Tendulkar, after retirement, said that he battled 10-12 years of anxiety and many sleepless nights during his 24 years of cricketing career.
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