Former England fast bowler David Lawrence dead at 61
Nearly a year ago it was revealed that Gloucestershire fast bowler Lawrence, who took 18 wickets in five Tests between 1988 and 1992, had been diagnosed with motor neurone disease, an incurable illness, which progressively damages parts of the nervous system.
A statement from Lawrence's family given to Britain's PA news agency said: "It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Dave Lawrence MBE following his brave battle with motor neurone disease."
Lawrence bagged a five-wicket haul against the West Indies in 1991 to help England seal a series-levelling win at the Oval, with Desmond Haynes and Vivian Richards among the batsmen he dismissed.
But his career all but ended the following year with a sickening injury when he shattered his kneecap running into bowl during a Test against New Zealand in Wellington.
That was the end of his time with England, although he made a brief comeback for Bristol-based Gloucestershire, playing four four-first class games in 1997 before retiring for good after taking 625 wickets for the county.
He later became president of Gloucestershire, with his old county saying in a social media post Sunday that they were "devastated" to learn of Lawrence's death.
Following his MND diagnosis, there were emotional scenes when Gloucestershire won the T20 Blast final at Edgbaston last year, with captain James Bracey presenting the trophy to Lawrence.
His MND diagnosis also hastened Lawrence's autobiography amid fears he would lose the ability to speak.
Titled 'In Syd's Voice', and written with the help of cricket journalist Dean Wilson, the book was published this month.
England and Wales Cricket Board chairman Richard Thompson hailed Lawrence as a "true trailblazer" who became a "powerful voice for inclusion and representation in our sport".
There was a minute's applause in honour of Lawrence before the start of the third day's play in the first Test between England and India at Headingley on Sunday, with players and officials also wearing black armbands as a mark of respect.
MND - MONTAGNE & NEIGE DEVELOPPEMENT
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
United News of India
2 hours ago
- United News of India
Kartal reaches Wimbledon last 16 with Parry win
London, July 4 (UNI) British wildcard Sonay Kartal continued her dream campaign at Wimbledon today, reaching the fourth round for the first time with a composed 6-4, 6-2 victory over France's Diane Parry on No.1 Court. The 23-year-old London-born player, of Turkish descent through her father, overcame a shaky start as Parry surged to a 3-0 lead. Kartal steadily clawed back, taking the first set and then dominating the second to seal her spot in the last 16, where she will face Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. Kartal's rise has been as understated as it is inspiring. Often overshadowed by compatriot Emma Raducanu, she has quietly built momentum with a focused and resilient approach. 'I'm super disciplined. I'm super determined. When I set my mind to something, I want to achieve it,' she said after the match Coached since age six by Julie Hobbs (formerly Julie Pullin), Kartal trained at the Pavilion & Avenue Tennis Club in Hove, following her family's move from Sidcup. Despite playing many matches as a junior against Raducanu, Kartal admitted she wasn't among the top-tier prospects early on and missed out on Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) funding due to inconsistency and injuries. That experience, however, may have helped forge her independence. 'I did quite a lot of tournaments on my own just 'cause I couldn't afford to pay a coach week in and week out,' she recalled. 'It helped me grow up super fast, made me much more mature.' The LTA began supporting her at 19, a crucial time when she began to string together consistent wins. That backing, Kartal said, gave her access to vital equipment and training facilities that propelled her development and ranking surge. An all-round sports talent, Kartal was also gifted in football and cricket growing up, and is ambidextrous—playing cricket and golf left-handed. 'I was always a batter,' she said with a laugh, adding that her power came from her tennis-trained swing. With her grounded mindset, strong family support, and growing confidence on the court, Kartal is now making the most of her moment in the spotlight—and relishing every step of it. UNI BDN ARN
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Docs seek action as post-Covid neurological disorders rise in Mysuru
1 2 3 Mysuru: Following the state govt's move to form an expert committee to investigate a surge in sudden cardiac deaths, Mysuru-based neurologists have urged similar action to address the alarming rise in neurological disorders post-Covid-19. Dr Shushrutha Gowda, an American board-certified neurologist, reports a 30% increase in such cases, aligning with international findings that indicate a multifold rise in cities like Mysuru. He said that even though brain-related disorders are increasing, there is no effort to address them. Dr Gowda highlighted a significant uptick in conditions such as migraines, neuropathy, stroke, and dementia compared to pre-Covid times. "Neurological disorders are often more severe than cardiac issues, with higher morbidity rates. The urgency to conduct comprehensive studies and implement interventions cannot be overstated," he said. He emphasized the need for immediate action to understand and mitigate these health challenges. Citing recent cases, Dr Gowda noted treating an 18-year-old diabetic smoker for stroke, one of the youngest such patients, and dementia cases in individuals as young as 45. Diabetic persons with smoking habits are more vulnerable to neuro disorders. There is a need to take up a drive to educate society on brain health, he said. To tackle this growing crisis, he proposed statewide epidemiological surveys, regional neurology registries, and funding for research into dementia risk factors and treatments. He advocated for an integrative approach to develop effective solutions. Dr Mohamed Ataulla Shariff, consultant-neurology, Narayana Hospital, Mysuru, observed that post-Covid-19, neurological conditions like Guillain-Barré syndrome and ischemic strokes have seen an increasing trend. Many patients have shown cognitive decline (brain fog), fatigue, muscle aches, and pains. Due to steroid usage in the treatment of Covid, patients developed diabetes leading to a few neurological complications like sensory changes such as numbness and tingling, he explained. Dr Sucharitha MV, associate consultant-neurology, Manipal Hospital, Mysuru, said initially post-Covid, they did see a spike in acute ischemic strokes, cerebral haemorrhage, cerebral venous thrombosis, and encephalitis. Other common problems encountered by many patients were anosmia (loss of smell), altered taste, fatigue, headaches, dizziness, and myalgia. Over a span of a year, many patients recovered completely, while others did not return to their near normal but have shown gradual improvement. There hasn't been a drastic spike in new cases, but patients with pre-existing neurological disorders, such as Parkinson's disease, dementia, and epilepsy, who worsened during Covid have often not returned to their pre-Covid baseline. As a delayed complication of Covid, many patients suffer from memory loss, behavioural issues, depression, and fatigue, she said. In the acute phase, patients had an increased risk of ischemic stroke, intracerebral haemorrhage, and cerebral venous thrombosis, she said. According to health department officials, the rise in the number of neurological disorders can be ascertained only when the cases are reported to the hospitals, and till now no sudden spike in the cases has been reported. Mysuru district health officer Dr PC Kumaraswamy stated that the mental health programme currently includes brain health initiatives focusing on disorders like dementia. However, he claimed no significant spike in neurological cases has been observed locally.
Indian Express
4 hours ago
- Indian Express
Who is GIPE's new V-C Umakant Dash?
Umakant Dash, the new Vice Chancellor of the Pune-based Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics (GIPE) is an economist with extensive research and teaching experience. His work about universal healthcare as well as evaluation of healthcare facilities present have seen him deal with issues like poverty, policy and interventions to tackle the same. Appointed as the director of Institute of Rural Management (IRMA) based in Gujarat's Anand in 2021, Dash has a PhD in Applied Economics from IIT Kanpur. He completed his graduation from BJB College in Bhubaneshwar in Economics and Mathematics. Dash also has a DHS from Tualane University in USA. Before he was appointed as the director of IRMA, Dash worked as the professor at the department of Humanities and Social Sciences in IIT Madras, Chennai. He has also worked in institutes like Utara University of Malayasia, IIT Madras, Chennai, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani and Xavier Labour Relations Institute Jameshdpur. A career academician, Dash has guided many PhD scholars in institutions. During his tenure in IIT and BITS Pilani, Dash worked extensively on topics like Macro Economics, Finanacial Economics and Health Economics as well as Derivate Markets and Health Management. Dash also worked as consultant to WHO India, Access Health International and Department of Public Health Government of Tamil Nadu, to name a few. As an economist, Dash has led investigations that studied the effect of health care among the poor as well as health care among the ageing in India. He has authored and co-authored articles about health and health care in numerous national and international journals of repute. Dash's work about poverty reduction and development benefits of 'within country migration' was published by the EPPI Centre, Social Science Research Unit, Institute of Education, University College of London. His work about public health systems in Tamil Nadu have been citied in several journals too.
