Ex-Australian cricketer Damien Martyn has been taken to hospital and has been placed in an induced coma after being diagnosed with meningitis as the sporting community rallies around him
Former Australian cricketer Damien Martyn is in hospital and has been placed in an induced coma after being diagnosed with meningitis.
He remains in a serious condition after falling ill on Boxing Day before he was taken to hospital in Queensland, where he was diagnosed with meningitis, claim sources close to the family. Meningitis impacts the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord.
Former AFL player Brad Hardie, who opened up on Martyn’s condition on 6PR on Tuesday, claimed that the 54-year-old “is in for the fight of his life”. Martyn’s condition has come out of left field and on Christmas Eve he had been on social media expressing his excitement for the fourth Test of the Ashes Series.
Individuals from around Australian cricket has rallied to give messages of support as they prayed for Martyn’s full recovery. Adam Gilchrist confirmed his former Test and Western Australia team-mate issued a a statement on behalf of the Martyn family.
“He is getting the best of treatment and [Martyn’s partner] Amanda and his family know that a lot of people are sending their prayers and best wishes,” he said.
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Former teammate Darren Lehmann urged Martyn to “keep strong” on social media. Cricket Australia boss, Todd Greenberg, wished Martyn a quick recovery. “I’m saddened to hear of Damien’s illness,” he said. “The best wishes of everyone at CA and in the wider cricket community are with him at this time.”
Martyn landed a Test debut at 21 in the 1992-93 home series against West Indies and was Western Australia’s captain at 23. He is widely considered to be one of Australia’s most talented batters, playing 67 Tests and scoring 4,406 Test runs for an average of 46.37 between 1992 and 2006.
He was player of the series the last time Australia won a series in India. There he top scored in four of Australia’s eight innings in the 2004 battle for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Martyn also played ODIs and his unbeaten 88 in the 2003 World Cup final – with a broken finger – helped Australia secure victory over India.
Martyn’s retirement in 2006 came out of nowhere in the midst of the Ashes series in Australia, where he had struggled for runs in the opening two Tests. He was then 35 but claimed the team “needed people who were “more than 100% committed”
His stock, especially within the team, remained sky high and Ricky Ponting said at the time: “Damien is one of the world’s most unsung players in both forms of the game and I don’t think it is really understood how good he actually is.”
