Former Australian batsman Damien Martyn who played a key role in snatching away the 2003 World Cup from India’s hands, recently made headlines across the globe after he was taken ill after suffering meningitis.
The Australian great returned home from hospital on Saturday and shared how the “awful” bout of the life threatening disease made him realise “how fragile life is”.
Martyn fell seriously ill on December 27, 2025, when meningitis took over his brain, leading doctors to place him in a paralysed coma for eight days. When he regained consciousness eight days later, he was unable to walk or talk, but within just four days, he made a recovery that left doctors in disbelief.
Recalling his days of struggle, Martyn penned a heartful note to thank the medical staff, his family and fans for their support.
“On the 27th of December 2025 my life was taken out of my hands…when meningitis took over my brain, & unbeknownst to me I was placed into a paralysed coma for 8 days to help me fight this awful disease. And that I did! Fight that is!…. After being given a 50/50 chance of surviving, I came out of the induced coma 8 days later…not able to walk or talk,” Martyn wrote on X post his recovery.
“And yet 4 days after that, with the doctors in disbelief, I walked, I talked and proved to them all why I should be released from hospital to start my recovery,” he stated.
“This post is A BIG thank you to ALL my family, friends and so many other people who have reached out to me! There are so many wonderful people in this world … from paramedics (at Mermaid Waters Ambulance), doctors & nurses (at Gold Coast University Hospital) … to family, friends and people I didn’t even know. Bring on 2026 …I’m back!” the cricketer added.
Known as one of the most stylish middle order batsmen to have played for the most successful cricket nation in the world, Martyn was part of two of Australia’s world cup winning campaigns.
Looking at Damien Martyn’s cricket career
Martyn played for Australia from 1992 to 2006, primarily as an elegant middle-order batsman known for his stylish strokeplay. After a brief initial stint in the early 90s, he made a successful comeback in 2000 and became a key figure in one of Australia’s most dominant eras.
He was a member of the Australian teams that won the ICC Cricket World Cup in 1999 and 2003. In the 2003 final against India, he scored an unbeaten 88 not out despite a broken finger.
With more than 9,872 international runs to his name, Martyn has a total of 18 international centuries across all three formats of cricket.
Internet reacts to Martyn’s recovery
Celebrating his miraculous recovery, twitter users congratulate Damien on overcoming a significant challenge and expressed hopes of seeing him in the commentary box sometime soon.
“Congratulations on the recovery Damien. Want to see you in the commentary box soon!,” a user commented on the social media platform. While others recommended him to play games like chess to keep his brain active and boost his mental recovery and agility.