English cricket club Kent has suspended comments on their official social media accounts after a poor start to the season sparked stinging criticism from fans. Head coach Adam Hollioake said the decision was made to protect players' mental health.

Kent currently sits at the bottom of the second division of the County Championship after three matches, leading to harsh online comments from frustrated supporters.

In a statement released before Kent's match against Derbyshire, Hollioake acknowledged the team's performances had been "nowhere near the standards we expect of ourselves." However, he emphasized his "duty of care" to protect the squad.

Hollioake, a close friend of former England teammate Graham Thorpe who took his own life in 2024, and whose brother Ben died in a car crash in 2002, said: "I've seen in recent times, two players and friends that I played alongside for England, go down a bad path in terms of mental health, and I've lost both of them. It's part of my job, and my duty of care, to make sure that we don't see that again."

The coach stressed that the decision was not taken lightly and is part of a short-term strategy to allow players and staff to "think and play with freedom and clarity." He added that the club is not stopping people from voicing opinions, but merely suspending comments on official channels for now.

Source: www.aljazeera.com