Former New Zealand cricket star Chris Cairns was on life support in Australia following a serious cardiac problem.
Cairns, one of New Zealand’s all-time greats, suffered an aortic dissection -- a tear in the body’s main artery -- last week in Canberra and is understood to have had several surgeries since.
However, the former Black Caps skipper “has not responded to treatment as hoped”, Newshub said and was transported to St Vincents Hospital in Sydney on Tuesday night.
“Mr Cairns is in a serious but stable condition in ICU at St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney after being transferred from Canberra”, a hospital spokerson told Stuff.co.nz on Wednesday morning.
AFP has reached out to New Zealand Cricket for comment.
The cricket website ESPNcricinfo said an NZC spokesman had declined comment to them, citing respect for Cairns’ privacy.
Cairns’ mother in Canberra is unable to get to his bedside in Sydney due to Covid travel restrictions.
His longtime New Zealand teammate Chris Harris told Stuff he was devastated by the news.
“It’s the worst news you could possibly get. Absolutely devastated. Obviously it’s compounded even further when his family can’t be with him because he’s in Sydney. It’s devastating,” Harris said.
“We grew up together and played all our cricket together, so I’ve got fond memories of Chris. It’s absolutely devastating.”
Cairns had a successful 17-year international career as an all-rounder, playing 62 Tests and 215 one-day internationals.
He amassed more than 3,000 Test runs and close to 5,000 in ODIs while crossing the 200-wicket mark in both formats.
Cairns was named one of Wisden’s cricketers of the year in 2000, and awarded the New Zealand order of merit when he retired from Tests in 2004.
Former Black Caps captain Brendon McCullum has led tributes to Cairns.
“It’s a difficult subject to obviously talk about. We haven’t seen each other for quite a long time,” McCullum said on his SENZ Breakfast show.
“We’ve been reflecting on just how fine a cricketer he was when the news came through and what he did for the game and New Zealand cricket throughout his career as well.
“Our relationship is unimportant in the whole thing, the fact is that Chris is a father and also a son to Lance and Sue. They’ve already had such tragedy in their life with the loss of Chris’ sister a long time ago as well.
“It’s a really difficult time for those people and I know the cricket community and all those who support the Cairns family will be suffering right now. Today my family and myself are thinking of those people who are suffering.”
Story first story published on Fox Sports