Former NZ all-rounder Chris Cairns suffers paralysis following heart surgery
In a disturbing piece of news, former New Zealand all-rounder Chris Cairns has suffered paralysis following a stroke in the spine. The 51-year-old has returned to his hometown Canberra, however, he is critical due to several complications after undergoing a major life-saving heart surgery in Sydney. Cairns had suffered an aortic dissection in Canberra last week. Here are further details.
Here is the official statement
"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," Cairns' lawyer, Aaron Lloyd, said on his condition. "This has resulted in paralysis in his legs. As a result, he will be undertaking a significant rehabilitation process at a specialist spinal hospital in Australia."
Cairns suffered aortic dissection before getting transferred to Sydney
Cairns was believed to be on life support in Australia after suffering a sudden collapse. As per reports, the former New Zealand all-rounder suffered an aortic dissection in Canberra last week, which is a tear inside the body's main artery. The condition of Cairns was described as "serious but stable" before he was transferred to Sydney for his heart surgery.
Cairns to undergo a rehabilitation process
Lloyd added that Cairns will undergo a rehabilitation process after facing paralysis. "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," he stated. "Chris and his family want to focus on spending time together and making whatever progress they can."
One of the finest all-rounders
Cairns was one of the finest all-rounders in his era. He represented New Zealand in over 270 internationals. He scored 4,950 runs from 215 ODIs (4 hundreds), and also took 201 wickets. Cairns also smashed 3,320 runs and picked up 218 wickets in Tests. In 2004, he became only the sixth man to achieve the double of 3,000 runs and 200 wickets.
Cairns was allegedly involved in match-fixing
Cairns was alleged by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for match-fixing after an investigation in 2013. As per the allegations, he attempted to manipulate games in India when he was captain of the Chandigarh Lions in the Indian Cricket League. Former Kiwi cricketers Lou Vincent and Brendon McCullum accused Cairns of approaching them about fixing matches. Notably, Cairns had refuted these claims.
