Rachel Trenaman takes leave to focus on mental health

Rachel Trenaman, the Sydney Thunder and New South Wales allrounder who has been named in the Australia A squad to face India A, has taken time away from the game to focus on her mental health.

Trenaman, 18, played twice for the Thunder during this season's WBBL and was part of the Australia A one-day squad for the series that will take place in Brisbane next week.

She has now stood down from that series and will be rested from the Women's National Cricket League which resumes in January.

"We're proud that Rachel was brave enough to speak up, and we're here for her," Dominic Thornely, the NSW Breakers head coach, said. "I know the cricket family is right behind her and we wish her the very best."

Sydney Thunder's acting general manager Chris Botherway said Trenaman had the full support of the Thunder, Cricket NSW and Cricket Australia.

"Rachel is a highly thought of young person who has the respect of her team-mates, coaches and support staff at Sydney Thunder and NSW Breakers," he said. "Player health and well-being will always be our top priority and we will provide Rachel with all the time and support she needs to make a full recovery."

Trenaman is the latest Australian cricketer to step back from the game for mental health reasons this season. Sophie Molineux, the Melbourne Renegades and Australia allrounder, announced last month that she was taking a break which followed the decisions taken by Glenn Maxwell, Will Pucovski and Nic Maddinson.

Pucovski and Maddinson returned for Victoria in the last round of Sheffield Shield matches while Maxwell is back in training with Victoria.