Last updated on .From the section Women's Cricket

Sarah Taylor opens up about anxiety issues

England wicketkeeper-batter Sarah Taylor has taken a break from cricket because of debilitating panic attacks.

Taylor, widely regarded as one of the most talented female cricketers in the world, was the first woman to play first-grade men's cricket in Australia.

The 27-year-old says she has suffered from anxiety, which she describes as a "mental injury", for almost four years.

"My health is the most important thing and unfortunately my cricket has to come second," she told BBC Sport.

Taylor, who has played 101 one-day internationals, added: "I would like to say I'm 99% sure I will play cricket again.

"Taking time out is a way to try and fix me as a person and prolong my career. I want toput an England shirt on again. I want to train with the girls, I miss them terribly."

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said in May that Taylor was taking an "indefinite break" from the game.

She has missed the start of Sussex's domestic season and, as it stands, will be absent from England's summer series against Pakistan, as well as the inaugural Women's Super League, which starts in July.

Taylor said she could only properly address her mental challenges now she had taken a break, as the sport acted as a distraction.

She spoke exclusively to BBC Sport during a week in which global research estimated four in every 100 people experience anxiety, with women and young people under 35 particularly affected.

"You have to hit the bottom of the pool