It's tough at the top, whatever you do, writes John Drummond.
Mr Cleaver believes that ''there are unique pressures associated with the sport that lead, not necessarily to suicidal thoughts and depression, but towards situations that require a reservoir of mental wellness to cope.''
But those pressures may not be unique. Take the life of the professional opera singer.
Like a cricketer, an opera singer works in a team but is expected to deliver a high-quality individual performance, and if he or she fails to do so, it reflects on the success of the whole production.
Like a cricketer, an opera singer is only as good as his or her last performance: failure carries with it the penalty of being ''dropped'' from the opera team. And, just as in cricket, it may be someone else's mistake that rebounds on to you. It takes two to duet.
Like a top-flight cricketer, a top-flight opera singer spends much of his or her life in hotels, moving from performing venue to performing venue, often spending more time away from family members than with them.
Like a cricketer, an opera singer is constantly at the mercy of a critical professional media and the grapevine scuttlebutt of enthusiasts.
But cricketers have one advantage over opera singers. If a cricketer breaks a bat, he can pick up another one. If an opera singer's voice goes wrong, then that's it. They can't pick up a spare one from the dressing room. So the pressure on opera singers is even greater. What if, as a batsman, you had to build your whole career around using only one bat?
Over the years, Dunedin has produced as many talented, brilliant, professional international opera singers as it has cricketers, if not more. They notably include Martin Snell, Jonathan Lemalu, and Anna Leese. We take pride in their skills and their artistry.
But, just as with our cricketers, we should remember the stresses and pressures they are under as they do their jobs. They need to be strong.
One thing that keeps the cricketers going is the support they gain from friends who understand their situation. With our opera singers it's the same: their social networks and personal friendship networks are sturdy.
But spare a thought for them too, when you think about our cricketers. It's tough at the top, whatever you do.
- Prof John Drummond is the Blair professor of music at the University of Otago.
