Oz media says even 'men of steel' like Steve Waugh, Hayden, Gilchrist suffered from stress

The Australian media has extended their support towards England batsman Jonathan Trott following his decision to leave the Ashes tour citing stress, and said that even 'men of steel' like Steve Waugh, Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist felt vulnerable and helpless due to a similar ailment.

According to Telegraph.com.au, although Hayden, Waugh and Gilchrist had their problems well away from public view, there are many more like them who will be reflecting on their own darkest days in the wake of Trott's decision to go home.

The report mentioned that former skipper Waugh has candidly admitted in his book 'Out Of My Comfort Zone' that on the calamitous 1988 tour of Pakistan, when Australia threatened to go home due to a dispute, he fleetingly hoped that a dropped slips chance that thudded into his left collarbone had caused enough damage for him to be sent home.

According to the report, Hayden also had his own moments of acute stress and tried listening to ocean and rainforest music to relax, although sometimes the tension overwhelmed everything in the early days of his turbulent career, one of which came just before his made his breakthrough Test century against the West Indies in 1997.

Hayden had admitted that he was so stressed in the lead-up to the games that his 'nerves were shot, he was sweating badly in his sleep and could not get modes of dismissals out of his head at night'.

Meanwhile, the report mentioned that just before Gilchrist hit 102 off 59 balls against England in a Test match in Perth, he was a sobbing wreck in the dressing room.