Former New Zealand all-rounder Chris Cairns played 62 Tests between 1989 and 2004.© AFP
New Zealand cricket legend Chris Cairns has been taken off a ventilator and his condition is improving after a major heart attack, a family spokesperson said Friday. Cairns, 51, 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. He would have had an aortic dissection, a tear in the innermost layer of the body’s main artery. The cricketer’s lawyer, Aaron Lloyd, shared on Friday what he said was “great news” about Cairns.
“I am pleased to say that Chris is off the ventilator and has been able to communicate with his family,” Lloyd wrote on social media.
“They are grateful for all the support and get well wishes from everyone and ask for continued privacy.”
A hospital spokesman said Cairns’ condition had improved from “severe but stable” to “stable”.
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.
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However, his on-field performance was overshadowed by match-fixing allegations, which were vehemently denied by Cairns, resulting in two lawsuits.
Cairns was evicted on both occasions, but complained that his reputation was nevertheless “scorched”.
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