Australia all-rounder Cameron Green has revealed he suffers from a lifelong chronic kidney disease.
Green spoke for the first time about his condition during an interview with Channel 7, revealing that his parents originally feared he may not live to be a teenager.
“My parents got told when I was born,” he told the broadcaster.
“Chronic kidney disease is basically a progressive disease of your kidneys’ health function. Unfortunately, mine don’t filter the blood as well as other kidneys. They’re at about 60% at the moment which is stage two.
“I consider myself very lucky that I’m not as affected physically by chronic kidney disease as other people who are affected by the same thing.
“There’s five stages, with stage one being the least severe, and stage five being transplant or dialysis. Fortunately, I’m stage two, but if you don’t look after them enough, it goes back down.
“Kidneys can’t get better. It’s irreversible. So anything you can do to slow the progression, you basically try and do.”
Despite never previously speaking publicly about the issue, Green has made sure his cricketing colleagues are aware of the physical challenges he faces.
“I have told a few guys in the cricket world,” he said.
“The coaching staff are all over it. I think all the guys in the Aussie cricket team, I’ve told.
“After a few cramping episodes, I probably had to come off and tell them that it’s probably more than not being professional enough because I knew in the background I was eating and drinking as much as I could to give myself the best chance.”
Green has played 24 Tests, including two Ashes series, and was part of Australia’s World Cup-winning squad in India last month.
Powell says West Indies only '60 to 70 per cent there' after World Cup opener
West Indies only played at 60 to 70 per cent of their capabilities as they survived a scare to beat Papua New Guinea in their T20 World Cup opener, admits captain Rovman Powell.
The Windies followed the United States' lead in making a winning start on home soil on Sunday, though they were pushed close in a five-wicket win over the team ranked 20th in the world.
The co-hosts collapsed from 61-1 to 97-5 and needed 37 runs from their final 19 balls to reach their target of 137, but Andre Russell and Roston Chase combined to get them over the line.
They take on Uganda in their second match next Sunday before rounding off their Group C campaign against New Zealand and Afghanistan.
Powell knows they have work to do despite their victory, saying in his post-match interview: "Papua New Guinea's plans were simple, and they played some really good cricket. It is important to get two points in this tournament.
"Roston bowled pretty well, and to come out under pressure, with the way he played, it was what we needed.
"We are 60 to 70 per cent there. We can be better in all three departments. Hopefully, we can correct that for the second game."
Chase was named Player of the Match after hitting an unbeaten 42 off 27 deliveries, and he insists Windies did not take Papua New Guinea lightly.
"They're not an A-List team but we don't want to take any team lightly in the World Cup. We came out with the mentality that we were playing Australia or India," he said.
"We started slowly but we had a chat at the halfway stage and the guys just wanted to rally and put our best foot forward."
Karthik announces retirement from cricket
Dinesh Karthik has announced he is retiring from all cricket, bringing an end to his nearly 20-year career.
Karthik represented India in 180 matches across all formats, making his debut in September 2004, but has not played for his national side since the 2022 T20 World Cup.
He has been a part of the Indian Premier League since its inaugural season in 2008, representing six teams, including two spells at Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
His most recent stint with RCB saw him play a vital role in their run to the playoffs, where they ultimately lost to Rajasthan Royals.
In a social media post on Saturday, his 39th birthday, Karthik announced his decision to retire from the sport.
"Having given it plenty of thought for some time now, I have decided to move on from playing representative cricket," Karthik said in his statement.
"I officially announce my retirement and put my playing days behind me as I square up for the new challenges that lie ahead.
"I'd like to thank all my coaches, captains, selectors, teammates and members of the support staff who have made this long journey pleasant and enjoyable. Among the millions that play the sport in our country, I consider myself among the lucky few to have had the chance to represent the nation, and luckier still to have earned the goodwill of so many fans and friends.
"My parents have been pillars of strength and support over all these years, and I wouldn't be what I am without their blessings. I also owe plenty to Dipika [Pallikal], herself a professional sportsperson who often put her career on hold to walk my journey with me.
"Of course, to all the fans and followers of our great game, a massive thank you! Cricket and cricketers wouldn't be the same without your support and good wishes."
Karthik is one of just seven players to feature in every edition of the IPL so far, playing 256 games across that run.
He also played for Delhi Daredevils (now Capitals), Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings), Mumbai Indians, Gujarat Lions and Kolkata Knight Riders.
Overall, Karthik scored 4816 runs, striking at over 135 with 22 half-centuries. As a keeper, he is second only to MS Dhoni in overall dismissals (172) as well as stumpings (36).
IPL: Mumbai Indians condemned to last-place finish after 18-run defeat to Super Giants
Rohit Sharma's half-century was not enough for Mumbai Indians as they slipped to an 18-run defeat to Lucknow Super Giants at Wankhede Stadium.
The defeat consigned Mumbai to bottom place in the Indian Premier League for the second time in the space of three seasons, after losing 10 matches this year.
LSG were also left to lament their misfortune, as despite reaching 14 points, they did not qualify for the play-offs.
KL Rahul's 55 got the ball rolling for Lucknow, but their innings was ebbing out until Nicholas Pooran's dazzling 29-ball 75 took them to 214-6, despite the efforts of Nuwan Thushara (3-28) and Piyush Chawla (3-29), who stepped up in Jasprit Bumrah's absence.
Rohit's 38-ball 68 set the tone for what looked set to be a promising Mumbai chase, as he struck 13 boundaries around a short rain delay.
However, Mumbai went from 88 without loss to 120-5 in the space of six overs, leaving the tail with too much of a mountain to climb.
Data Debrief: Lucknow miss out
While Mumbai sit bottom of the pile yet again, it is a case of what might have been for LSG, who for the first time in their three-season history, failed to make the top four.
Fourteen points is often enough to get over the line and into the play-offs, but their poor net run rate of -0.667 means they miss out.
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