Aussie cricketer Nic Maddinson pulls out on mental health grounds

The decision effectively rules Maddinson out of contention for a berth in the Test squad for the upcoming two-match series against Pakistan.

Opener Cameron Bancroft will replace Maddinson for the three-day match against Pakistan at Perth Stadium, starting Monday.

Meanwhile, Maddinson must be lauded for his decision to speak out and handle this difficult situation well.

Maddinson's withdrawal almost certainly rules him out of the opening Test against Pakistan in Brisbane later this month.

This three-day match between Australia A and Pakistan is widely seen as a final chance to impress selectors.

All eyes will be on Joe Burns, Travis Head and Will Pucovski to stake their claims.

Also, Alex Carey is in frame to present his case.

Alex Kountouris, Cricket Australia's head of sports science and medicine, said the governing body was committed to understand mental health.

"Mental health is a challenge faced by Australian communities and elite sporting organisations and cricket is no different," he said.

"Like other professional sports we are working hard to better understand the challenges faced by our players and staff so we can support them."

Maddinson's withdrawal is the second time the 27-year-old cricketer has put his mental health first and stepped away from the game.

Earlier, back in February 2017, Maddinson had stepped away from Sheffield Shield cricket.

Ben Oliver, Cricket Australia's executive general manager of National Teams, said the player would be afforded all the time and support he needed to return to full health.

Besides Maddinson and Maxwell, the likes of Pucovski, Moises Henriques, Jordan Silk and Australian women's international Nicole Bolton are other recent examples of cricketers who decided to take time out from the game.

It's a laudable fact that the stigma around mental health is continuing to evaporate.

With more cricketers coming out, it is something that needs to be backed.