Chris Cairns, the former New Zealand all-round legend, has been diagnosed with bowel cancer six months after being left paralysed with a stroke.
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Chris Cairns, one of the greatest all-rounders to have played for New Zealand, continues his fight for survival outside of the cricket field. Six months after he was left paralyzed with a stroke following heart surgery, there has been more bad news for Chris Cairns. The 51-year-old allrounder has been diagnosed with bowel cancer. The news was shared on his Instagram social media handle.
“Big shock and not what I was expecting after what was supposed to be a routine check-up. As I prepare for another round of conversations with surgeons and specialists, I keep remembering how lucky I am to be here in the first place and how blessed I am to have all that I do in my life. Another fight ahead but here’s hoping this one is a swift uppercut and over in the first round,” Chris Cairns wrote on his Instagram post.
Chris Cairns played 62 Tests, 215 ODIs, and two T20Is in a 17-year career from 1989 till 2006. At his prime, Cairns was simply one of the best players that New Zealand had. The son of former New Zealand player Lance Cairns, Chris Cairns smashed 3320 runs at an average of 33 in Tests. In 215 ODIs, he hit 4920 runs at a strike rate of 85. Cairns had hit the most sixes for a New Zealand player with 87 in 62 Tests. That mark was eclipsed when Brendon McCullum blasted 106 sixes in 101 Tests.
Read – Chris Cairns on life support: Reports
After he retired from international cricket during the T20I against the West Indies, Cairns played for Chandigarh Lions in the Indian Cricket League. It was from that point in time that accusations surfaced that Cairns was a ‘cheat’. The accusations made on him by former IPL chairman Lalit Modi led to a long and arduous libel suit. Cairns won the Libel Suit in 2012.
After that, life was difficult for Cairns. He was seen cleaning floors at the Auckland bus terminal in order to support his family. After that, Cairns struggled monetarily for a couple of years. He moved to Sydney where he had to undergo heart surgery. Cairns underwent heart surgery but he lost the use of his legs in the aftermath of the surgery. Six months later, still paralyzed, Chris Cairns is now facing yet another battle in his life. One hopes that he recovers well.
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