Cricket-New Zealand's Vincent battling depression

WELLINGTON, Feb 10 (Reuters) - New Zealand batsman Lou Vincent is battling depression and doubts he will play international cricket again.

Vincent, taking anti-depressants and receiving help from a clinical psychologist, said he believed he had been suffering from the illness for some time before he was diagnosed.

"For as long as I can remember I've been riddled with self-doubt, I've had no self-belief, and I've just been hating the guy I've seen in the mirror," he told New Zealand's Sunday Star Times.

"I remember so many days that should have been great days, when I've gone home, slumped over a chair and thought 'I just hate this and I hate myself'.

"I was beaten by it. I was completely beaten by it, I let I get to me and it just took over. Until you have been through it, you can't imagine how bad it is."

He was diagnosed with depression last December.

"I didn't really understand what depression was," the 29-year-old added.

"I just thought I was having another bad week here, or another bad couple of days there. I'd locked myself in my room, or in my house for days without talking to anyone but didn't realise it had anything to do with depression."

Vincent pulled out of all cricket before Christmas citing exhaustion but has since returned to domestic action with Auckland.