How a “very serious” heart condition turned England’s James Taylor’s life upside down

The diagnosis: Taylor’s last international match was against South Africa in January, in the fourth and final Test at Centurion. Taylor, who had cemented his place in the ODI squad while cutting the teeth in the longest version, began the pre-season in the right earnest, turning up for Nottinghamshire against Cambridge University. However, he missed the first championship games of the summer against Surrey at Trent Bridge for what he then thought was a viral condition. But the discomforts persisted and hospital scans discovered that he was suffering from ARVC.

What next? As soon as he was made aware of the condition, he decided to retire from all forms of the game. He will undergo a surgery next week and he posted a picture, in Twitter, of him in the hospital bed and a message underneath: “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.”

Overwhelming support: From teammates to former cricketers and other sportsmen, heart-rending support poured in from within and outside the cricket fraternity. One of the first to console was Muamba, who tweeted: “Having life is a great option. Retirement is inevitable but for some of us it’s just earlier than expected. Enjoy life!”. England team director Andrew Strauss, who was also the skipper when he made his Test debut, led the tribute: “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 give him all the support.” Jonny Bairstow, one of his closest friends, was gutted: “To say I’m gutted is an understatement! A team mate, room mate and one of the best! Your a tough buggar buddy, stay strong!”