Tributes paid as heart condition forces England batsman James Taylor to retire
England batsman James Taylor has been stripped of the finest years of his international career after being forced to retire due to a serious heart condition, according to former national team skipper Nasser Hussain.
The 26-year-old is set to undergo surgery later this week having been diagnosed with Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy, a similar condition to that which affected former Arsenal footballer Fabrice Muamba.
Taylor had just been recalled to England’s Test side, playing all four matches against South Africa during the winter, while he also represented his country in 27 One-Day Internationals.
“What’s so sad about it is that he was getting to exactly where he wanted to be after working hard for the last four or five years when he’s been out of the side,” said Hussain. “He’s worked so hard and had to prove people wrong to get back into the side.
“And now he’s got back into the side, he’s been hit by the hardest of blows and his dream of playing cricket for England has come to an abrupt end.”
England and Wales Cricket Board director Andrew Strauss added: “It is both shocking and saddening to hear that James’ career has been cut short in such a sudden and unexpected manner.”