Ten years on from his test cricket debut, Australian test captain Tim Paine has opened up about his battle with performance anxiety.

Mr Paine’s poor performance following an injury sparked a mental spiral downwards, he told Jim Wilson.

“After a while, it just wore me down and wore me down. It wasn’t a great period of my life.

“I was just a bit sad … and I couldn’t shake it.”

He said support from “some pretty influential people” as well as his love for the game helped him through.

“I wanted to come out the other end of it and find a way to be successful again.”

In a predominantly male sport, he said, there’s still stigma attached to seeking mental health treatment.

His first conversation with Cricket Tasmania’s resident psychologist was a chance run-in in a common area.

“I chatted to her for 20 minutes, and I could not believe when I walked out that door how much better I felt.

“It’s super important, in sport and in life in general, that you’ve got people that you can reach out to.”

Click PLAY below to hear the full interview

Image: Getty Images/Jason McCawley