John Mooney gives incredibly classy response to disgraceful Zimbabwe Herald article

John Mooney has finally broken his silence over that shocking article that viciously attacked him.

The article by the Zimbabwe Herald was an unbelievably offensive tirade against the Irish all-rounder who made the controversial catch that knocked Zimbabwe out of the World Cup. The disgusting piece attacked Mooney by inappropriately referring to his personal issues with mental health, claiming that they somehow made him "untrustworthy" Mooney has replied to the article through his Facebook page, and he dealt with it in an extremely dignified manner. First of all he thanked batsman Brendan Taylor and the rest of the Zimbabwean cricket team for their apology for the publication on Twitter.

 Last night I texted Brendan Taylor to thank him and his team for their apology. They are great blokes and they didn’t have to do that, because I know the man who wrote that article does not represent their team. The main thing that gets to me about his article is that it might prevent somebody from getting the help they need in the future. The reason I spoke to the press about my struggles was to promote mental health issues. Using the fact I’m a sportsman to reach people who feel they can’t tell people their problems. Let me just say the day I told people my issues I felt a huge sigh of relief.

Mooney revealed his concern that the article might have an incredibly damaging effect on people who are suffering from mental health problems such as depression. However, he encouraged people going through such personal battles to come forward and seek help, ensuring them that they won't face ridicule for trying to reach out.

I don’t want people to see this terrible article and say ‘oh I’m not telling anyone, people will slag me off, or my name will be tarnished’. People will help you, people who you least expect will give you strength. Life will get better not worse. I really wanted to get through this tournament without writing anything on mental health as I’ve been so focused on my cricket, but unfortunately I’ve had to do this short piece.

He signed off by thanking the fans for their support and vowing to focus all of his attention on the crucial final group stage match against Pakistan on Sunday.

Thank you again for all your support, that man’s article means absolutely nothing to me, my only concern is beating Pakistan on Sunday.

We have some good time to get ready for what will be the biggest game in the history of Irish cricket. Trust me; we are all so pumped for this it’s going to be great either way.

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