Netherland men’s team coach and Australian former cricketer Ryan Campbell is in a coma after suffering a heart attack on Saturday (April 16). The 50-year-old is admitted is in critical care at a hospital in Stoke-on-Trent, England.
The news was first shared by journalist and Campbell’s friend Gareth Parker on Tuesday (April 19) morning.
The journalist tweeted that “former Australian cricketer was at a playground with his kids in Stoke-on-Trent when he collapsed. He had also complained about chest pains and difficulty in breathing before the incident occurred.”
It was earlier reported that Ryan was admitted to a hospital in London, but Parker tweeted and rectified the news by confirming Campbell’s presence in Stoke-on-Trent.
He further shared that “Campbell along his family visited Perth his hometown to meet his extended family and at that time he was fit as a fiddle.”
Sharing his latest update, the journalist mentioned that Campbell is unresponsive for the past three days, and the doctors are trying their best to make the cricketer breathe on his own.
Campbell has been coaching the Dutch side since 2017; after the recently concluded tour against New Zealand on 4th April, the cricketer decided to go to Perth and meet his extended family before heading back to Europe.
Once Ryan and his family left Perth, they headed for England, and that is where the trouble began. On Saturday, the Campbell family was at a playground, and the player started having difficulty in breathing and chest pains. A few moments later, he collapsed on the ground and was rushed to the nearest hospital.
The news of his collapse was shared with his family in Perth on the day of Easter, and they are in a state of disbelief.
Campbell, born and brought up in Perth, made it to the international level for Australia. Following his stint as a player, he decided to take up the job as the Dutch teams’ head coach in 2017.
Untimely heart-related issues are on the rise, and athletes are no exception from it. Recently Shane Warner and now Campbell. During his playing years, the latter also battled depression and openly spoke about contemplating early retirement.