Former Australia Leg-Spinner Robert Holland Ailing With Brain Cancer
Jan 13, 2019 at 4:22 PM
The Story:
Robert Holland, the former Australia and New South Wales leg-spinner, has been struggling with deteriorating health condition due to an aggressive brain cancer. Family and friends of the former cricketer have been undergoing nervous times.
The 70-year-old was recently presented with the lifetime membership by the Hunter branch of The Lord’s Taverners Australia at a ceremony in Newcastle. However, his health condition was so frail that he wasn’t even able to give a speech.
“Totally shocked. We can’t believe that we’re in this position, well, he’s in this position. A healthy, fit man now just not there,” Carolyn said after the ceremony.
Earlier this year, he was also conferred with the Order of Australia award.
70 percent Tumour Removed
Nicknamed “Dutchy” for his surname, the veteran cricketer was diagnosed in late March and two weeks later had surgery to remove about three-quarters of the tumour. Doctors have announced that most of the tumour, around 70-80 percent has been removed. But, this development has done little to improve his condition.
His son Craig said at the time his father had “won round one” with the disease, but Holland’s wife Carolyn told Fairfax Media on Tuesday that he had deteriorated significantly since then.
“They removed 70 to 80 percent of the tumour and basically they’re just trying to keep it at bay. The last MRI showed that that was happening.
Carolyn, states that the struggles are clearly taking a heavy emotional toll. Holland, who suffered a seizure 10 days after his surgery, has had radiation treatment and chemotherapy, but Carolyn said the prognosis was “not good”.
The Gentleman Cricketer:
Robert has five young grandchildren and mostly devoted his time to his childhood and local cricket club, Southern Lakes Cricket Club and a successful and progressive club in Toronto, NSW which sponsors state level athletes.
As a cricketer, he was a late bloomer, making his Test debut for Australia at a ripe old age of 38. And, it was only until he reached the age of 32 that he was able to break into the New South Wales side in 1978-79, as the selectors looked for someone to continue the state’s long-standing tradition of leg spinners.