Former New Zealand all-rounder Chris Cairns was reportedly on life support and fighting for his life in Australia after collapsing in Canberra due to a serious heart problem last week.
The 51-year-old Kiwi had reportedly suffered an aortic dissection (a tear in the body’s main artery) last week. He underwent multiple surgeries after suffering a heart problem but had not responded to treatment as hoped and is in an intensive care unit at a Sydney hospital.
He underwent surgery in Canberra following the major heart incident, but the seriousness of his condition required him to be shifted to St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney from a Canberra hospital on Tuesday (August 10) for cardiovascular surgery.
A spokesman for St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney told AFP: “He's in a serious but stable condition in intensive care.”
Meanwhile, Cairns’ wife Melanie Cairns said in a statement on Wednesday (August 11) shared by New Zealand Cricket (NZC) on Twitter: “Chris' family and friends are heartened by the respectful and warm manner in which this terrible news has been reported and received by the public, both in New Zealand and around the world, and thanks to everyone for their warm wishes, prayers, and kind words.”
NZC chief David White stated: “We're deeply concerned to hear of Chris Cairns' medical emergency. Our thoughts are with his family in Aus and here in NZ. Chris is a much-loved husband, father, and son - and remains one of our finest all-rounders. We hope he's able to make a full recovery.”
Chris, who was one of the best all-rounders of his time, represented New Zealand in 62 tests and 215 ODIs in a 17-year career. He scored over 3,000 Test runs and 5,000 ODI runs and took 218 and 201 wickets respectively in the format. He also played 2 T20Is.
(With Reuters Inputs)
