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FORMER ENGLAND CRICKETER PHIL TUFNELL TELLS LISA SALMON WHY FISHING IS A GREAT WAY TO UNLOAD

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PHIL Tufnell is the epitome of a cheeky, happy chappy, rarely seen without a smile on his face.

But, like everyone, the former England cricketer isn’t immune to the stresses and strains of life - although he has a great way of dealing with them. And it’s not through therapy, mindfulness, meditation or any other modern coping mechanism - it's simply through good, old-fashioned fishing.

Tuffers, as he’s affectionately known, started fishing with his dad and brother when he was young, and still swears by it as a way of clearing his mind, relaxing and sharing any troubles with his fishermen friends.

He says: “I got into it when I was playing for England, touring - some of the guys would go golfing, but I wasn’t much of a golfer, and some would organ-ise a bit of a fishing trip to try to get away from it all, and the pres-sures of cricket. It was just a nice release and a relaxing day or two, to clear your mind.”

Speaking ahead of the recent Mental Health Awareness Week, Phil, who is now a cricket commentator and TV and radio personality, is supporting a new Environment Agency campaign to highlight the mental wellbeing benefits of fish-ing, and stressing how important it is to buy a fishing licence, which helps fund the upkeep of fishing lakes.