Chris Cairns family provides update on cricketer's health; makes simple request to fans

The news about Chris Cairns being admitted to the hospital due to health issues stunned the cricket fraternity on Tuesday. The former New Zealand all-rounder suffered aortic dissection at his home in Canberra last week. After this, the New Zealand cricketer has undergone multiple operations only to be placed on life support on Tuesday. 

Chris Cairns latest news: Family provides an update on the cricketer's health condition

On hearing the news about Chris Cairns life support New Zealand cricket took to its Twitter handle to share its thoughts on former cricketers health and wished him a speedy recovery. Chris Cairns family in their message thanked the world for their support and said that no further update will be made available regarding the condition to keep things private and have asked people to respect the privacy.

Former New Zealand skipper Brendon Mc Cullum also showed his support to his former teammate putting aside the differences from the past. Speaking on SENZ breakfast show he said, “It is a difficult subject to obviously talk about. We have not seen each other for quite a long time,”. He further said,  “We have 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 have already had such tragedy in their life with the loss of Chris' sister a long time ago as well. It is 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".

What is aortic dissection? 

Aortic dissection is a serious condition in which a tear happens in the inner layer of the body's main artery. Blood rushes through the tear, causing the inner and middle layers of the aorta to split (dissect). Aortic dissection symptoms may be similar to those of other heart problems, such as a heart attack. The other Aortic dissection symptoms include sudden severe chest or upper back pain, sudden severe stomach pain, loss of consciousness, and shortness of breath.

Chris Cairns cricket career

Cairns, who captained New Zealand in the 50-over format and is one of only eight all-rounders in the world to reach a double in Test cricket, which is 200 wickets and 3,000 runs. Cairns is the third-fastest cricketer in the world to reach his Test double of 200 wickets and 3,000 runs in 58 Tests, only behind Ian Botham and Kapil Dev (50 Tests). Cairns has played 62 Tests and 215 ODIs for New Zealand between 1989 and 2006. He has 3,320 runs in the longest format and 4,950 in ODI cricket, including 218 and 201 wickets, respectively.