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South African fighting legend AB de Villiers has admitted that he struggled with anxiety issues during his playing days, especially before big matches. The former Proteas captain revealed that he took sleeping pills from time to time to deal with stress, but advised athletes not to follow the routine, warning it could turn into an addiction.
Recently, Australian batsman Steve Smith spoke about his struggles to sleep before big matches. In an interview, soccer player Dele Alli also admitted that eating sleeping bills has become a problem for him.
While discussing the aforementioned cases on his YouTube channel, De Villiers opened up about his struggles with sleep before big matches.
“I can relate to this because I had similar issues before big games, and I really struggle to sleep. Sleeping tablets helped me sleep and that can become an issue after a while because not only does a tablet put you to sleep, it makes you feel really relaxed, takes a little bit of anxiety away.” And you feel in a very good place,” he said.
During a previous interview, the former South African batsman admitted that he could not sleep before the 2015 World Cup match against the West Indies.
Elaborating on the same incident, he said:
“I distinctly remember the 2015 World Cup game. It was the night before we played in the West Indies. I actually ended up scoring a hundred which is quite surprising – one of the best batting of my life. But that night I literally slept for 2-3 hours Max. At 3 a.m. I took the doctor to my room, got an injection and couldn’t sleep. I was having stomach cramps and it was just based on anxiety, stress, stress, thinking about the next big game, which was a must-win for us.”
The 39-year-old revealed that he started having anxiety issues around 2010-2011. His performance on the field has improved dramatically, as have his expectations of himself.
De Villiers explained:
“It was those lonely times in the hotel room, thinking, ‘I have to do this again tomorrow, I have to do this again.’ It never stopped, which eventually created a little anxiety in me. I was also on tablets Hypnotics from time to time, especially before big games.Sleeping tablets can be so addictive that you sometimes start taking them when you really don’t need them.This is where the problem becomes.Luckily for me, I settled for the last 5 to 7 years, and I’ve gotten a little better, but it’s very serious.”
One of the most devastating players in the history of the game, De Villiers announced his shock retirement from international cricket in 2018, saying he was tired.
“I was very proud to talk about it” – de Villiers
While sharing his thoughts on the concern, De Villiers admitted he made a mistake by not opening up to his coach or captain about the issues he was facing.
Urging athletes to communicate openly about the same, the Proteas cricketer concluded:
“When it happens to you, you need to communicate with someone about it. That’s what I’ve kind of been wrong about in my career. I was very proud to talk about it, and I didn’t want to show weakness to the coach or the captain. But it’s important to talk and communicate with someone and then feed.” “You have to drink plenty of water, eat well and exercise. Getting a good night’s rest will give you success the next day.”
One of the most impressive cricketers of all time, De Villiers played 114 Tests, 228 ODIs and 78 T20Is from 2004 to 2018.
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