Heart condition takes Taylor out of cricket

London, April 12

England batsman James Taylor has been forced to retire from cricket at the age of 26 due to a serious heart condition, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said on Tuesday.

Taylor, who plays county cricket for Nottinghamshire, withdrew from last week’s game against Cambridge MCCU with what was believed to be a viral infection. However, scans revealed he has a serious heart condition known as Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Arrhythmia (ARVC). “Safe to say this has been the toughest week of my life! My world is upside down. But I’m here to stay and I’m battling on!” Taylor said on his Twitter account.

The middle order batsman played seven Test matches and 27 ODIs for England and captained the side against Ireland in May last year. “It is both shocking and saddening to hear that James’ career has been cut short in such a sudden and unexpected manner,” England team director Andrew Strauss said in a statement released by the ECB. “Throughout his career, he has constantly impressed with his determination to make the absolute most of his ability, and it is immensely cruel that such a hard working player will be unable to fulfil his great potential in the international arena. The ECB will work closely with Nottinghamshire and together we will do everything possible to help James through this difficult period, and aid him in his recovery.”  — Reuters

Former WI cricketer jailed, deported from NZ

Wellington: Former West Indies Test cricketer Franklyn Rose was deported from New Zealand today after being held in prison for five weeks for overstaying a work visa. The 44-year-old Rose, a fast bowler who played 19 Tests and 27 One-day Internationals, had been living in New Zealand since 2011 when he was granted a work visa to coach at Auckland University Cricket Club.

His visa expired in 2012 and he worked as a volunteer cricket coach at Auckland schools before being given a deportation order in 2014.

Rose appeared in the Auckland District Court on March 4 and had since been held in Auckland’s Mount Eden prison. — AP