Chris Cairns faces a long road to recovery, with paralysis in his legs after suffering a stroke in his spine. The former Black Caps allrounder, 51, has returned to Canberra where he lives but remains in a serious condition after suffering complications following major heart surgery in Sydney.
Chris Cairns suffered an aortic dissection, a major medical event that saw him transferred to Sydney’s St Vincent’s Hospital on life support earlier this month.
A statement issued by Chris Cairns’ lawyer Aaron Lloyd on Friday confirmed the latest on his condition:
“During the life saving emergency heart surgery Chris underwent in Sydney he suffered a stroke in his spine. This has resulted in paralysis in his legs,” the statement said.
“As a result, he will be undertaking a significant rehabilitation process at a specialist spinal hospital in Australia. Chris and his family remain appreciative of the immense public support as they deal with this difficult time. They also appreciate the way in which their privacy has been respected.”
“Chris and his family now want to focus on spending time together where possible and making whatever progress they can in his recovery. We will update everyone when there is more news, but that is likely to be sometime away.”
An aortic dissection is a serious condition in which a tear occurs in the inner layer of the body’s main artery (aorta).
Chris Cairns’ condition was described as “serious but stable” on August 11 on transfer to Sydney, then there was encouraging news last week that he was off life support and communicating with his family.
Chris Cairns, the son of former test player Lance Cairns, played 62 tests and 215 one-day internationals for New Zealand between 1989 and 2006 and was named one of the Wisden Almanack’s cricketers of the year in 2000 when at the peak of his powers. He and his wife Melanie live in Canberra and have two young children.
Chris Cairns Faced Allegations Of Match-Fixing While Playing In Now Defunct ICL
The 51-year-old, however, also faced allegations of match-fixing when he played in the now-defunct Indian Cricket League in 2008 and fought many legal battles to prove his innocence during which he won a defamation case against the IPL founder Lalit Modi in London in 2012.
He again faced fixing allegations from fellow cricketers Lou Vincent and Brendon McCullum before being acquitted of perjury and perverting the course of justice following a gruelling trial in London court in 2015. Fighting corruption allegations took a toll on his life and at one point in time, he had to take up a job with the Auckland Council to drive trucks and clean bus shelters to foot the legal bills.
Chris Cairns played 62 Tests, 215 ODIs, and two T20I matches for New Zealand between 1989-2006. 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.