In a fascinating European Cricket Studio live chat, former Australia international Ryan Campbell openly discussed how he was “going to do a runner out of the Gabba changing rooms” to evade a drugs test because of the “stigma that surrounded mental health.”

Ryan, an integral part of the broadcast team as an expert analyst at the inaugural European Cricket League – ECL19 - spoke candidly about his personal mental health challenges.

“One time, I was having a standard drugs test. But because of the stigma that surrounded mental health, I was going to do a runner out of the Gabba changing rooms,” he said.

Recalling his lengthy battle with depression during his career, Ryan, a former Australia wicket-keeper batsman and the current Netherlands coach, urged those struggling in silence to reach out for help during the terrifying COVID-19 crisis.

He said: "One of the worldwide issues we’ll find with this isolation is the individual well-being of our players and people. What I’d say to anyone - please talk to people and don’t sit at home without communicating, because that's a recipe for disaster.”

TRIBUTE TO COACH CLARK

The coach that stopped Campbell from running out of the Gabba in Brisbane that day was Wayne Clark, who Campbell credits hugely for developing his players primarily as people.

“Wayne Clark was a Western Australia legend and coach for most of my WA career. He was a great people motivator and people person. Did he teach me how to play a cover-drive? NO!! What he did was he embraced the person and made sure he got the best out of the player.

“Except for my close family, my coach was the only person who knew about it. He actually grabbed me by the scruff of the neck and held me back and said: ‘woah, slow down, you're going to have to go and fill in the forms, tell them what it's about.’

“Even as I filled in the form, I felt the drug tester looking at me as he read the drug, thinking: ‘anti-depressants, what have you got to be depressed about?’

“That was just in my head, but it was tough. I found that when I announced it at my retirement speech lots of people came straight up to me and said ‘thank you, I've had so many issues I didn’t know what to say.’

“During my retirement speech, I announced to the world that I had my mental health issues. I was on anti-depressants for a big part of my career,” Ryan said.

Going back to 2006, an era where mental health struggles were rarely discussed by sports people or wider society, Campbell bravely speaking out led others to follow.

“The WA Premier at the time Geoff Gallop actually announced his retirement a week or two later citing mental health problems. We actually caught up and had a chat and he said the same thing ‘I just couldn’t go on any further and should have spoken up earlier.’

“I’m really glad that a lot of athletes nowadays declare these issues and men talk about it, because it is something no-one wants to talk about.”

There will be more honest and open discussion with guest Ryan Campbell on “This is McChat” on Wednesday’s European Cricket Studio with Michael McCann. Get your questions in using #ECstudio, or message them to @europeancricket on Instagram. Ryan will answer them during a one-hour interactive chat - LIVE ON INSTAGRAM - 1500 GMT * 1700 CET * 2030 IST.