Former India pacer David Johnson, who played two Tests for the country in 1996, has passed away at his house in Bengaluru. He was 52 and is survived by his wife and two children.
Johnson died after falling from the balcony of his 4th-floor apartment, a Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) official said on Thursday.
"We were informed that he had fallen from the fourth floor of his apartment building. He was taken to a hospital but the doctors declared him dead," the KSCA official told PTI.
As per PTI details, Johnson, who was running a cricket academy near his home, had not been keeping well in recent times.
According to Kothanur police officials, Johnson is believed to have committed suicide after jumping from the third floor of his house in Hennur. A UDR (unnatural death report) has been filed at the Kothanur police station.
Indian Express reported that Johnson has been battling health issues for the past year and has been in and out of hospital. It is learnt that Johnson spent the last week at the hospital and was discharged only three days ago.
Notably, Johnson made his Test debut for India in 1996 in the inaugural Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test in Delhi. He played his second and final Test in Durban against South Africa later that year. Johnson was considered to be one of the fastest bowlers in India at his peak.
In the 90s, when Karnataka dominated Indian domestic cricket, Johnson was part of the pace battery which included Javagal Srinath, Venkatesh Prasad, and Dodda Ganesh.
His passing was condoled by members of the Indian cricketing fraternity on social media with the likes of Jay Shah, Anil Kumble, and Gautam Gambhir posting tributes for David Johnson.
Here are some posts:
