Published: Apr 23, 2016, 01:38 PM (IST)
Edited: Apr 23, 2016, 01:38 PM (IST)
England cricketers Joe Root and Ben Stokes were left shocked following the the sudden announcement made by James Taylor to quit the game due to a serious heart condition. A recent diagnosis revealed that Taylor is suffering from a very serious heart condition called ARVC (Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Arrhythmia) which compelled him to see a premature end to his cricketing career. Though the cricketers lend their sympathy for their teammate, they also revealed that they are both happy that it got diagnosed at the right time not worsening things. READ: Alastair Cook expresses shock at forced retirement of James Taylor
Talking to espncricinfo.com, Root said, “It was a huge shock. I was away when I found out, it was horrible to hear such sad news, [but] it’s great to see him back out of hospital now. He’s the fittest guy in the squad. He loved that side of his cricket. His work ethic has always been outstanding, he was very dedicated and he had a strong focus of trying to be the fittest guy in the squad. You could see that from his body shape and the work he did out on the field. I really hope he can come back from it, and find something that he enjoys doing as much as he loved playing cricket.”
Stokes said, “I’ll be able to play again, unfortunately Titch won’t. But he seems to be in decent fettle for the news that he got. I think he realises, and we realise, that the best thing to come out of this is that he’s still alive. Some people are less fortunate than that.”
“Obviously it’s devastating for us because me and Joe, we’ve played with Titch since we were 14 or 15. So he’ll be a massive loss for England going forward, as he was just starting to make his name in one-day and Test cricket. But it’s a massive perspective, not just on cricket life, but life in general. It’s just good to see him walk away with his life, really,” he added.
