Tait tells of his troubles
Shaun Tait is back playing for South Australia after a self-imposed seven-month absence from all forms of the game
Brydon Coverdale
25-Feb-2013
Shaun Tait is back playing for South Australia after a self-imposed seven-month absence from all forms of the game. In his most extensive interview since walking away from cricket in January, Tait speaks to the Advertiser's Richard Earle about his struggles with the grind of international cricket.
Six years ago the gangly youngster was "having fun" with his mates playing C grade for Sturt. Fast forward to January this year, and he was living every young boy's dream as an international cricketer. But it was fast becoming Tait's nightmare – he had started "hating it".
He was starting to dread approaching the familiar glass of Adelaide's new airport terminal. Opening the car door meant queuing for yet another ticket, another tour, another hotel room and another dose of loneliness. Tait never went looking for cricketing stardom. The game's marketing gurus and Cricket Australia – armed with a lucrative contract – pursued him.
Instead of excitement about the next cricketing adventure there was regret at leaving his mates. "I was going to the airport for another tour and saying that I just want to stay here, I don't want to go. I just wanted to stay with them," recalled Tait.
Brydon Coverdale is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo. He tweets here