Kapil Dev slammed for tone-deaf take on pressure, depression: Here’s what sports psychologists say

Psychologists say institutionalizing mental health leave could help even the junior players, who may otherwise hesitate to ask for a break when their career is yet to take off. (Illustration by Suneesh K.)

On World Mental Health Day (October 10), when corporate corridors were buzzing with conversations around stress management and employee burnout, former Indian cricketer Kapil Dev, while speaking at ‘Chat with Champions’, an event for students, said that he "doesn’t understand American words like depression and pressure".

The veteran cricketer, who is credited for India’s first ever World Cup win, went on to say, “I am a farmer. I play for enjoyment and there can be no pressure when you are enjoying the game. When I visit schools, kids in 10th standard say they are under a lot of pressure. Why are you ‘under pressure’? You are studying in AC classrooms, your fee is paid by your parents. The teachers cannot touch you.”

As the clip of the interaction went viral, Dev was lambasted on social media for his comments. Netizens accused the 63-year-old champion of ‘trivializing mental health’. Some even called him an ‘old uncle’ who doesn’t know much about mental health.

"I am a big fan of Kapil Dev, so I hope he didn’t mean what he said. If he did say it, he doesn’t know enough about depression and mental illnesses,” said Dr Kersi Chavda, consultant, psychiatry, PD Hinduja Hospital. “It is not that having a mental illness makes you weak - just like having high blood pressure doesn’t make a person unfit for a job. We must do away with the stigma around mental health” Dr Chavda added.

Generational Conflict: Old v/s New Cricketers

Kapil Dev’s comments have struck a raw nerve with the younger generation and Gen Z, some of whom called the cricketer a ‘boomer’ after his comments went viral.

“The newer generation of cricketers know what they want. The older generation, perhaps, didn’t know enough,” Dr Chavda said. “Mental health isn’t a ‘hush hush’ affair anymore like it was back in the day. The younger cricketers are perhaps not as afraid of talking about their struggles and asking for help,” he added.

To be sure, this is not to say that stress, pressure and depression were not as pervasive earlier. Dr Chavda said the ‘Humare zamaane mei nahi hota tha’ (this didn't happen in our day) argument is fallacious at best.

“Saying that depression is a fad that the younger generation is obsessed with is… well, crap! When I joined medicine 45 years ago, people were dying by suicide. But it was all ‘hush hush’. I certainly believe that there is less shame associated with admitting that one suffers from a mental illness today than there was before. Hence there is a generational conflict at play,” Dr Chavda said.

Dr Jini K. Gopinath, chief psychology officer, YourDOST, said: “Earlier, showing vulnerability as a man wasn’t acceptable due to the stigma associated with men showing weakness. Men, especially cricketers, had to stick to their ‘macho’ image. But the new generation cricketers don’t care and are not in denial of their mental health concerns”.

Dr Gopinath added, “Earlier, there was hardly any psychologist in the cricket teams. Now, almost every cricket team has a sports psychologist. Infact, sports psychology has emerged as an offshoot of mainstream psychology”.

In the public eye

Earlier this year, cricketer Virat Kohli, the former captain of the Indian men’s cricket team, had opened up about his struggles with mental health. “For the first time in 10 years, I didn't touch my bat for a month," Kohli revealed in conversation with a sports channel. There has been some conversation on social media about whether the Board for Cricket of Control in India (BCCI) should allow players to go on mental health offs.

“I strongly recommend the cricketing boards to allow players to take mental health offs,” Dr Chavda said in response to a question. “I remember when Simone Biles, an American gymnast, pulled out of the Olympics due to her mental health - there was such hue and cry about it. It was completely unnecessary. You would give them an off if they fracture their leg, then you must give them an off when they aren’t doing well mentally,” Dr Chavda added.

Also read: Healing Space | Did Naomi Osaka pave the way for Simone Biles?

Apart from Virat Kohli, Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone had opened up about struggling with depression and how she sought help shortly after her mother spotted signs of depression in her.

“People say things like ‘he is trying to garner sympathy’ and ‘her films are not doing well so she wants attention’ - it is all nonsense. It can be very tough for people who are in the public eye to verbalise their mental health struggle. Those who do speak up should be applauded rather than criticised,” Dr Chavda said.

Dr Gopinath said that the cricketing boards should also pay attention to the mental health needs of younger players. “Taking a mental health off might not be an issue for someone like a Virat Kohli or a Rohit Sharma. But if an entry-level player shares his mental health concerns, he might be considered ‘unpredictable’. This might lower his chances of selection to the playing 11. It is as important to help the players at the bottom of the hierarchy as it is to help those at the top,” Dr Gopinath said.

“The problem is that there is no precedent when it comes to dealing with mental illness when you are working in an office or as a sportsperson. There is no strategy one can follow. My clients ask me specifically to not share their mental health concerns with their manager and/or coach. They fear that if they speak up, they will be thrown out of the organisation,” Gopinath added.

Dr Gopinath and Dr Chavda said that the need of the hour is to de-stigmatize mental illnesses. And Kapil Dev's comments, irrespective of the spirit in which they were spoken, seem regressive and unhelpful in this respect.