Abstract
The ability of a cricket player to manage their mental health helps them to perform optimally. This study investigated
how mental health is related to performance of male cricket players during the resumption of sporting events after coronavirus
disease 2019 (COVID-19) restrictions. Mental health profiles were established using the Depression, Anxiety,
Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21), Athlete Burnout Questionnaire (ABQ), and Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) instruments
among male semiprofessional cricket players (n = 63). Performance metrics included: body fat percentage (BF%), range
of motion (ROM), push-abdominal test, crazy catch test, t-test, 40-m sprint, and Cooper’s test. Inferential statistics
included Spearman’s correlations with a significance level set at a \ .05. Spearman’s correlation reported a statistically
significant relationship for SWLS and body mass index (BMI) (r = 20.263; p = .037) as well as between stress and
abdominal test (r = 0.355; p = .004); crazy catch test (r = 0.249; p = .049); Cooper’s test (r = 0.335; p = .009), VO2max (r
= 0.308; p = .014), stress and abdominal test (r = 20.313; p = .012); as well as anxiety and 40-m sprint (r = 0.488; p =
.027). This study provides an important snapshot of how symptoms of mental health are associated with performance.
Further research should investigate the relationship between mental health and performance parameters among male
players at varied skill levels.