Opening batsman Jake Weatherald has withdrawn from South Australia’s Sheffield Shield squad, citing mental health issues.

Weatherald, who struck a century in the opening Shield round, is taking indefinite leave from the Redbacks and departing the team’s Adelaide hub.

He will miss, at the least, SA’s next Shield game against Victoria starting on Friday.

“We are supportive of Jake, who has made the tough but right decision to leave the hub and focus on life outside of cricket for a short period,” the Redbacks’ sports science and medicine manager John Porter said on Tuesday.

The 25-year-old Weatherald made 105 and 36 in SA’s opening game against Western Australia.

But after making four and 10 in the following fixture against Tasmania, Weatherald sought help from Redbacks medicos.

The lefthander follows fellow Australian cricketers including Glenn Maxwell, Will Pucovski, Nic Maddinson and Moises Henriques to miss games in recent seasons because of mental health issues.

With state squads currently in hubs in Adelaide, and Australia’s Test and short-format squads also to spend time in Sydney-based hubs ahead of series against India, Cricket Australia has increased resources available to players.

Players and staff have access to a psychologist residing in the Shield hub, in addition to each state’s medical staff.

CA has also adopted daily monitoring of the mental wellness of players and staff.

AAP



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