Former New Zealand cricketer Cairns diagnosed with bowel cancer

Canberra, Feb 5:  Former New Zealand star cricketer Chris Cairns has been diagnosed with bowel cancer, less than a week after being discharged from hospital here after recovering from a massive heart attack.

The 51-year-old Cairns, who is wheel-chair bound as he got paralysed below the waist due to a spinal stroke suffered during the heart surgery, on Saturday shared an update on his health on social media, saying he was told on Friday that he had bowel cancer.

"As far as weeks go, I thought that Tom Brady (former American football quarterback) retiring was going to be the low point this week... but as it turned out, TB12's retirement comes a distant second. I was told yesterday (Friday) I have bowel cancer… big shock and not what I was expecting after what was supposed to be a routine check-up," wrote Cairns on Instagram.

"So, 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. Wasn't all bad this week either, managed to get in some kids sport and celebrate Noah's birthday at home. Another fight ahead but here's hoping this one is a swift upper cut and over in the first round," said the former New Zealand all-rounder,

Cairns has featured in 62 Tests, 215 ODIs and two T20Is for New Zealand between 1989 and 2006. In 2000, he was named as one of five Wisden Cricketers of the Year.

The former cricketer had suffered an aortic dissection -- an often fatal rare heart condition -- in August 2021 and was on life support. He was saved by four open-heart surgeries but such was the strain on his body, a blood clot formed and he had a spinal stroke during the surgery, leaving him paralysed from the waist down.

On New Year, he had posted images of him sitting on a wheelchair with a bat, playing backyard cricket. He had also posted images where he is seen taking a dip in the pool. Cairns's rehabilitation routine to strengthen his muscles involves five hours of work in a gym, six days a week, according to stuff.co.nz.

He had also revealed his struggles saying that he might never walk again and that his sport background was helping him deal with the reality.