New details emerge as Aussie cricket star, 50, fights for life after having a heart attack

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Fresh details have emerged about the heart attack suffered by former Australian test cricketer Ryan Campbell in front of his children last Saturday in England.

Campbell remains in an induced coma in a London hospital.

It is believed the 50-year-old was with his family in Stoke-on-Trent visiting the parents of his wife Leontina when he had the heart attack at a local park. 

A passerby performed CPR until an ambulance arrived at the scene. 

It is also understood Campbell has had a pacemaker fitted as doctors look to bring him out of the induced coma.

Former Australian cricketer Ryan Campbell suffered a heart attack in front of his kids at a park last Saturday in the United Kingdom (pictured with his wife Leontina)

Former Australian cricketer Ryan Campbell suffered a heart attack in front of his kids at a park last Saturday in the United Kingdom (pictured with his wife Leontina)

His sudden plight has shocked many in the sport, including ex-Australian coach Justin Langer, coming soon after the deaths of cricket greats Shane Warne and Rod Marsh. 

‘When Bacchus (Rod Marsh) was the first one (to go in March) it was a huge shock to all of us,’ he said.

‘Then Warney (Shane Warne) and now Cambo (Campbell) – it is hard to get your head around. We are obviously all praying there is a better outcome for him than there was for our other two mates. ‘He’s just a ripping bloke.’   

Campbell, a wicketkeeper and batsman from Western Australia in his playing days, coached the Netherlands at the T20 World Cup last year in the United Arab Emirates.

He had only just returned to Europe following a trip to Perth to see his parents. 

Campbell, 50, remains in an induced coma in a London hospital and his sudden plight has shocked many in the sport (pictured playing for Western Australia)

Campbell, 50, remains in an induced coma in a London hospital and his sudden plight has shocked many in the sport (pictured playing for Western Australia)

Campbell recently tweeted his condolences after cricket legend and former teammate Shane Warne died aged just 52

Campbell recently tweeted his condolences after cricket legend and former teammate Shane Warne died aged just 52

‘He was here in Perth just last week and fit as a fiddle,’ his friend, 6PR Radio presenter Gareth Parker, said on Tuesday. 

‘Under the care of his doctors, he has made some attempts successfully to breathe on his own.

‘This news is a real shock to his family and friends back home in Australia.’

WA Cricket chief executive Christina Matthews said staff were shocked to hear of Campbell’s heart attack.

‘I would like to pass on our heartfelt thoughts to Ryan, his wife Leontina and their family at this time. We know he is in the best care and hope he pulls through and is able to make a full and speedy recovery,’  Matthews told the West Australian. 

Campbell was a former teammate of late cricket legend Warne, having played a one-day international against New Zealand alongside him in 2002. 

Following Warne’s sudden death in March, Campbell had tweeted an image of himself alongside the legspinner when the pair were in a training camp with the Australian one-day team in the 1990s. 

Warne, just two years older than Campbell at 52, suffered a fatal heart attack on the Thai island of Koh Samui in early March. 

Campbell, who was an understudy of former Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist, said playing with Warne had been a highlight of his career. 

‘Shane Warne is clearly the greatest I’ve ever played with or against,’ he told Firstsportz in 2020.

Ryan Campbell in his role as head coach of the Netherlands in 2019 (pictured)

Ryan Campbell in his role as head coach of the Netherlands in 2019 (pictured)

Ex-Australian cricketer Ryan Campbell remains in a induced coma in a London hospital after suffering a heart attack (pictured with his wife Leontina)

Ex-Australian cricketer Ryan Campbell remains in a induced coma in a London hospital after suffering a heart attack (pictured with his wife Leontina)

Ryan Campbell with former Australian Test captain Michael Clarke (pictured right)

Ryan Campbell with former Australian Test captain Michael Clarke (pictured right)

RYAN CAMPBELL’S CRICKET CAREER

  • Debuted for Western Australia in the 1995-96 summer as a batsman and later replaced Adam Gilchrist as wicket-keeper when he was called up to the Australian side.
  • Campbell played a one day international in January 2002 against New Zealand and again in December against Sri Lanka. 
  • His spectacular batting and keeping resulted in a decade-long career with the Western Australia side before he retired from domestic cricket in 2006.
  • He went on to work as a radio sports presenter and television cricket commentator before relocating to Hong Kong in 2008 where he played Twenty20 International matches.
  • He took on the role of Dutch national coach in 2017.

The Western Australian cricket mainstay had recently relocated with his family to the Netherlands (pictured with his wife Leontina and their two children)

The Western Australian cricket mainstay had recently relocated with his family to the Netherlands (pictured with his wife Leontina and their two children) 

‘What that guy could do on a cricket field still amazes me… Gilly is up there and I was also a massive Steve Waugh fan. These guys were so great because they always got in the fight and always wanted to win.’ 

He added being a back-up for a legend such as Gilchrist, who played 96 Tests in a row, was tough, but he cherished the moment when he got the call up to the Australian side. 

‘Walking into the SCG change rooms and seeing my name on the locker next to Steve Waugh’s…To say I was nervous to train with him, Warne, McGrath etc was an understatement.’ 

Warne is not the only famous Aussie aged in their 50s to suffer a deadly attack in recent months. 

Labor Senator Kimberley Kitching died days after Warne in March. She was also 52-years-old.  

Cricket legend Shane Warne with Liz Hurley at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel grand opening in Vienna in 2012 (pictured)

Cricket legend Shane Warne with Liz Hurley at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel grand opening in Vienna in 2012 (pictured)

Well known Aussies in their 50s who had heart attacks in March 

Shane Warne: The cricketing legend died from a heart attack while on holiday in Thailand on March 4.

Kimberley Kitching: A Labor Senator for Victoria, she had a heart attack and died on March 10.

Dean Wallis: The former Essendon AFL player suffered a heart attack on March 12 but survived after emergency surgery.

All three were aged just 52. 

A recent Heart Foundation study warned the number of heart attacks could rise as Australians missed out on vital health checks amid the Covid pandemic.

The study found that states least affected by the pandemic, including Western Australia and Queensland, had the highest rates of health screening, averaging 30 heart health checks per 1,000 eligible adults, well above the national average of 25 checks per 1,000 adults.

Lockdowns, along with the resource-intensive roll-out of the Covid-19 vaccination and booster programs in GP practices, were linked to dramatic drops of up to 40 per cent in people having the check across the country.

A heart health check was added as a temporary item to the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) in 2019 following a campaign by the Heart Foundation.

The Heart Foundation is calling for the check to become permanent.

‘This concerning data reinforces the urgency of making heart health checks a permanent part of the MBS, as doctors will be dealing with a backlog of people who need preventative heart health care for years to come,’ Professor Jennings said. 

Heart health checks are designed for people who haven’t yet had a heart event but may be at risk of one and is available to Australians aged 45 years and over, and 30 years and over for Indigenous people.

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