James Taylor: England and Nottinghamshire batsman forced to retire
Scans have shown that Taylor, 26, has a condition similar to the one which affected footballer Fabrice Muamba.
Taylor, who has played seven Tests and 27 one-day internationals for his country, posted on Twitter: "Safe to say this has been the toughest week of my life!
"My world is upside down. But I'm here to stay and I'm battling on!"
Taylor missed his county's pre-season fixture against Cambridge MCCU with what was thought to be a viral condition.
James Taylor posted on social media shortly after news of his retirement was announcedHowever, his county revealed he has been diagnosed with Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Arrhythmia (ARVC) in a statement in which England team director Andrew Strauss spoke about his "shock" and "sadness".
"Throughout his career, he has constantly impressed with his determination to make the absolute most of his ability," said Strauss.
"It is immensely cruel that such a hard working player will be unable to fulfil his great potential in the international arena."
Fabrice Muamba urged Taylor to embrace the next stage of his life after his unexpected newsFootballer Muamba's heart stopped for 78 minutes while playing for Bolton Wanderers against Tottenham Hotspur in 2012.
He has since retired from the game.
iWonder guide: Who saved Fabrice Muamba's life?
What are symptoms of ARVC?
Cricket reacts to Taylor's retirement
Mick Newell, England selector and Nottinghamshire director of cricket:
"James has been a smart, intelligent batsman, who wins games. He's a big loss to England and Nottinghamshire, and a big loss to the game.
"His county stats are very impressive for Leicestershire and Notts and some thought he should have played for England sooner. But he waited and worked hard - he never slackened off in his desire and took his chance when it came.
He would have played a lot of cricket for England.
"He was one of the most influential one-day batsmen in the county game and he made the most of every ounce of his talent.
"He's understandably devastated but grateful that it was spotted. He is lucky that it was picked up now, which puts the cricket into context.
"People will miss him. He's a lovely kid."
Jonathan Agnew, BBC cricket correspondent
"It's easy to take a step back and be detached and say 'thank goodness he's been diagnosed' and there isn't a terrible tragedy for the Taylor family here to cope with.
"He'll obviously be desperately disappointed but the bigger picture has to be that it's a serious condition and hopefully it can be treated and he'll live a normal life.
"But when you're a sportsman, you're 26 with the world at your feet, and you want to play at the start of a new season - clearly it's devastating for him.
"He's a very cheerful, upbeat character - a model pro, hard-working, a real fighter.
"Short batsmen are notoriously difficult to bowl at. James was very strong off the back foot - a good cutter, good puller, but most of all had a fighting instinct. That's the way he played his cricket and I'm sure that's the way he'll cope with this.
"He's made for coaching. He's the sort of person you want in your dressing room and I'm sure he's still got lots to put into the game."
Kevin Howells, BBC cricket reporter
"This is sad and shocking. Everyone who knows him will tell you he's the most fabulous man.
"He withdrew from the Nottinghamshire squad last week and they thought it was a virus. He has now been told he has a very serious condition and he needs an operation.
"He was just making himself a fixture on the international stage. It's dreadful news."
Professional Cricketers' Association statement
"The news has come as a great shock Our thoughts are with James as he comes to terms with the end of his cricket career at such a young age and at a time when he had established himself as an international cricketer.
"We have a six-strong team of personal development managers who work across the 18 first-class counties to help players plan and prepare for life after cricket and we will offer James all the help we can to ensure that the transition to a new career is as smooth as possible."
England and Notts team-mate Stuart Broad was quick to respond to the news on Twitter
Harry Gurney played with Taylor at Leicestershire from the age of eight
England one-day opener Jason Roy was one of many players to offer their support using the hashtag #cricketfamily
Former England captain Michael Vaughan was full of praise for Taylor as a person as well as a cricketerA career cut short
Taylor made his first-class debut for Leicestershire against Worcestershire in April 2008 and joined Nottinghamshire before the 2012 season.
The Nottingham-born batsman played the first of his seven Test matches for England against South Africa at Headingley in 2012. He averaged 26 and his top Test score was 76 against Pakistan in November 2015.
Taylor's one-day international debut came in 2011 against Ireland. He averaged 42.23 in 27 ODIs, scoring seven fifties and one century - 101 against Australia in September 2015.
http://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/36024253
Scans have shown that Taylor, 26, has a condition similar to the one which affected footballer Fabrice Muamba.
Taylor, who has played seven Tests and 27 one-day internationals for his country, posted on Twitter: "Safe to say this has been the toughest week of my life!
"My world is upside down. But I'm here to stay and I'm battling on!"
Taylor missed his county's pre-season fixture against Cambridge MCCU with what was thought to be a viral condition.
James Taylor posted on social media shortly after news of his retirement was announcedHowever, his county revealed he has been diagnosed with Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Arrhythmia (ARVC) in a statement in which England team director Andrew Strauss spoke about his "shock" and "sadness".
"Throughout his career, he has constantly impressed with his determination to make the absolute most of his ability," said Strauss.
"It is immensely cruel that such a hard working player will be unable to fulfil his great potential in the international arena."
Fabrice Muamba urged Taylor to embrace the next stage of his life after his unexpected newsFootballer Muamba's heart stopped for 78 minutes while playing for Bolton Wanderers against Tottenham Hotspur in 2012.
He has since retired from the game.
iWonder guide: Who saved Fabrice Muamba's life?
What are symptoms of ARVC?
- Palpitations
- Light-headedness
- Fainting
- Breathlessness
- Abnormal heart rhythms
- Swollen ankles or legs
- Swelling in the abdomen
- Risk of sudden death on exertion
Cricket reacts to Taylor's retirement
Mick Newell, England selector and Nottinghamshire director of cricket:
"James has been a smart, intelligent batsman, who wins games. He's a big loss to England and Nottinghamshire, and a big loss to the game.
"His county stats are very impressive for Leicestershire and Notts and some thought he should have played for England sooner. But he waited and worked hard - he never slackened off in his desire and took his chance when it came.
He would have played a lot of cricket for England.
"He was one of the most influential one-day batsmen in the county game and he made the most of every ounce of his talent.
"He's understandably devastated but grateful that it was spotted. He is lucky that it was picked up now, which puts the cricket into context.
"People will miss him. He's a lovely kid."
Jonathan Agnew, BBC cricket correspondent
"It's easy to take a step back and be detached and say 'thank goodness he's been diagnosed' and there isn't a terrible tragedy for the Taylor family here to cope with.
"He'll obviously be desperately disappointed but the bigger picture has to be that it's a serious condition and hopefully it can be treated and he'll live a normal life.
"But when you're a sportsman, you're 26 with the world at your feet, and you want to play at the start of a new season - clearly it's devastating for him.
"He's a very cheerful, upbeat character - a model pro, hard-working, a real fighter.
"Short batsmen are notoriously difficult to bowl at. James was very strong off the back foot - a good cutter, good puller, but most of all had a fighting instinct. That's the way he played his cricket and I'm sure that's the way he'll cope with this.
"He's made for coaching. He's the sort of person you want in your dressing room and I'm sure he's still got lots to put into the game."
Kevin Howells, BBC cricket reporter
"This is sad and shocking. Everyone who knows him will tell you he's the most fabulous man.
"He withdrew from the Nottinghamshire squad last week and they thought it was a virus. He has now been told he has a very serious condition and he needs an operation.
"He was just making himself a fixture on the international stage. It's dreadful news."
Professional Cricketers' Association statement
"The news has come as a great shock Our thoughts are with James as he comes to terms with the end of his cricket career at such a young age and at a time when he had established himself as an international cricketer.
"We have a six-strong team of personal development managers who work across the 18 first-class counties to help players plan and prepare for life after cricket and we will offer James all the help we can to ensure that the transition to a new career is as smooth as possible."
England and Notts team-mate Stuart Broad was quick to respond to the news on Twitter
Harry Gurney played with Taylor at Leicestershire from the age of eight
England one-day opener Jason Roy was one of many players to offer their support using the hashtag #cricketfamily
Former England captain Michael Vaughan was full of praise for Taylor as a person as well as a cricketerA career cut short
Taylor made his first-class debut for Leicestershire against Worcestershire in April 2008 and joined Nottinghamshire before the 2012 season.
The Nottingham-born batsman played the first of his seven Test matches for England against South Africa at Headingley in 2012. He averaged 26 and his top Test score was 76 against Pakistan in November 2015.
Taylor's one-day international debut came in 2011 against Ireland. He averaged 42.23 in 27 ODIs, scoring seven fifties and one century - 101 against Australia in September 2015.
http://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/36024253
