29 August, 2021
Chris Cairns
Former New Zealand all-rounder Chris Cairns has been left paralysed after suffering a stroke during a heart operation, his family has confirmed.
Cairns needed emergency surgery at a Sydney hospital earlier this month and was briefly on life support.
In a statement, his family said he will now begin a “significant rehabilitation process” at a specialist spinal hospital in Australia.
They added the 51-year-old faces “a long road to recovery.”
Considered one of the best all-rounders of his generation, Cairns played 62 Tests, 215 one-day internationals and two Twenty20 internationals for New Zealand between 1989 and 2006 before becoming a television pundit.
His father Lance also represented New Zealand between 1974 and 1988. (BBC Sport)