Australia fast bowler Jhye Richardson has revealed he has been struggling with clinical anxiety. The 27-year-old has played three Test matches, 15 ODIs and 18 T20Is for a total of 57 wickets. Jhye informed cricket.com.au that the problem, though, had deteriorated during the 2021 IPL season. With COVID-19 cases stopping the tournament midway, players like Jhye found themselves stuck in India with no apt way of returning home. "I didn't think I should have gone to India," he said. "I wasn't in a good headspace". Jhye told cricket.com.au: "A lot of it started during Covid. My trip to the IPL – I left home not in the headspace that I probably should have been." He further added: "Then things sort of hit the fan while I was away, and everything with COVID and not being able to get home and stuff like that, it just toppled on top of each other. I think you don’t realise what sort of space you’re in until it becomes too much, which is why now I encourage a lot of young cricketers to work on their mental health – even if they think that they’re going okay." As his condition worsened, Jhye sought professional help. He said: “Everything just got to a point where there was some professional intervention that needed to happen. “I’m not willing to go into a whole lot of detail, but I just landed in a spot where things were bad enough that I stepped back and said, ‘I can’t continue thinking the way that I am’ and (needed) to get a bit more education and knowledge about how the brain works.: He says that the Western Australia Cricket Association has been most supportive. he said: "A lot of the judgment (regarding mental health) has gone nowadays. Within our (WA) group we trust everyone with the way that they want to go about things. People are individuals – they train different ways, they think differently.” He added: “The resources within cricket nowadays make the process of dealing with mental health issues a lot easier and there is a lot more education there. But as someone who has dealt with anxiety, not just on the field but away from cricket and day-to-day living, it can be quite exhausting.” Richardson had problems with injury in the past and is working hard on his fitness to get back into Test cricket. He said: "I know what it’s like to play Test cricket and I desperately want to get back there. I’ve only had tastes of it in the last couple of years, but knowing that when I do get back there, I do have fun playing cricket, which is why we all begin to play in the first place. I know if I get a decent crack at it, hopefully I can showcase some skills that allow me to get to the next level. I want to play Test cricket again. I want to play for Australia again." Also Read | Top 5 Most Expensive Uncapped Indian Players in IPL History