Chris Cairns has been taken off life support and his condition is improving after a major heart scare, a family spokesman said Friday.
The 51-year-old, one of the world’s top all-rounders in the early 2000s, was rushed to Sydney’s St Vincent’s Hospital this month and placed in intensive care in a specialist cardiac unit.
Chris Cairns Is Off Life Support And Has Communicated With His Family
He was reported to have suffered an aortic dissection, which is a tear in the inner layer of the body’s main artery. The cricketer’s lawyer Aaron Lloyd on Friday shared what he said was “great news” about the former Kiwi all-rounder.
“I’m pleased to say that Chris is off life support and has been able to communicate with his family,” Lloyd posted on social media.
“They are thankful for all of the support and well wishes from everyone, and ask for continued privacy.”
A hospital spokesman said Chris Cairns’ condition had improved from “serious but stable” to “stable”. New Zealand media reported the all-rounder had suffered an aortic dissection – a tear in the body’s main artery. Chris Cairns played 62 tests, 215 ODIs, and two T20I matches for New Zealand between 1989-2006. His father Lance Cairns also played cricket for New Zealand. Chris Cairns has lived in Canberra with his wife and children for several years.
Chris Cairns’ On-Field Achievements Were Overshadowed By Match Fixing Allegations But He Denied Any Wrongdoing
Chris Cairns played 62 Tests between 1989 and 2004, averaging 29.4 with the ball and 33.53 with the bat, including 87 sixes — a world record at the time. However, his on-field achievements were overshadowed by match-fixing allegations, strongly denied by the all-rounder, that resulted in two court cases. He was cleared on both occasions but complained his reputation had been “scorched” regardless.
After retiring from international cricket, he was the subject of allegations of match-fixing in India as captain of Chandigarh Lions in the now-defunct Indian Cricket League (ICL) in 2008. He denied any wrongdoing and fought several legal battles to clear his name, even winning a libel case against former Indian Premier League chairman Lalit Modi in 2012.