Australian cricket great Damien Martyn is showing strong signs of recovery after being brought out of an induced coma, with friends saying he is now talking and responding to treatment.
The 54-year-old former Test batter fell ill late last month and was rushed to a Gold Coast hospital, where he was diagnosed with meningitis. He remains in hospital but is on track for recovery.
Martyn was placed in an induced coma as fears grew for his health, but close friend and longtime teammate Adam Gilchrist, said the situation has improved significantly in recent days and Martyn may soon be moved out of intensive care.
“He is now able to talk and respond to treatment,’’ Gilchrist told News Corp.
“He has responded extraordinarily well since coming out (of the coma) to the point where his family feels it’s like some sort of miracle.
“It has been so positive that they’re hopeful he will be able to move out of the ICU into another part of the hospital which is representative of what a great recovery it’s been and how quickly it has flipped around.’’
Gilchrist said he had spoken to Martyn via FaceTime and that the support from around the world had meant a great deal.
“He’s very groggy and far from 100 per cent. But he is certainly communicating and slowly getting an understanding of the enormity of the situation,” he said.
“I think he is a little overwhelmed that people would respond to him in such a positive way which is a beautiful statement, not just from the cricket community but from the wider community as well.’’
Martyn’s family released a statement on Saturday saying he was progressing well, and the latest update will come as a major relief to supporters.
Just days before falling ill, Martyn had been posting on social media about the Ashes. He was later diagnosed with meningitis, an infection causing swelling around the brain and spinal cord.
Cricket figures including Darren Lehmann, VVS Laxman and Michael Vaughan have sent messages of support.
Born in Darwin, Martyn made his Test debut at 21 and went on to play 67 Tests for Australia. He captained Western Australia at 23 and was player of the series during Australia’s 2004 Test triumph in India.
His Test career included 13 centuries, with a top score of 165 against New Zealand in 2005. He retired from Test cricket during the 2006/07 Ashes series.
Martyn also played 208 one-day internationals, averaging 40.8, and scored an unbeaten 88 in Australia’s 2003 World Cup final win over India.
In retirement, he spent some time in commentary but has largely stayed out of the public eye in recent years.
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