Former Australian cricket star Ryan Campbell out of induced coma following heart attack

Former Australian cricketer Ryan Campbell has regained consciousness after suffering a heart attack over the weekend.

Former Australian cricketer Ryan Campbell is out of an induced coma after he suffered a heart attack over the weekend.

The 50-year-old, who visited Perth just one week ago, was with his children at a playground in London on Saturday when he began feeling unwell and had to lie down, 6PR reported.

6PR announcer and friend of Campbell, Gareth Parker, said the cricket star had been fitted with a pacemaker to help control some arrhythmia.

“Doctors don’t believe there’s damage to the heart, but they haven’t been able to figure out what’s going on just yet,” Parker, who caught up with Campbell last week, said on Tuesday.

It was announced on Wednesday (AEDT) that doctors would attempt to bring Campbell out of his induced coma and hours later, it was reported they were successful.

Campbell’s brother Mark told Triple M: “They’ve taken the heavy sedation off, so he’s actually woken up. Now they’re just look at trying to work out what’s wrong with his heart.

“He did a few tests last night. They’re saying that there doesn’t appear at this stage to be any brain damage, his brain wasn’t starved of oxygen. So that looks OK.

“They’re not sure now why his heart is still being arrhythmic. So that’s another issue that they’re now going to look at over there.

“His wife is obviously there with him and one of his friends from Hong Kong has flown from Nevada to be with her.

“At the moment in the UK they’re only allowing one person into the hospital because of Covid restrictions.”

Ryan Campbell batting during a South Australia vs West Australia Twenty20 match at Adelaide Oval in 2006.

New Zealand cricketer Mark Richardson being stumped by Campbell in 2002.

While at the park on the weekend, a passer-by attempted to help Campbell and performed CPR, before the sportsman was taken to hospital and placed in an induced coma.

Campbell, who coaches the Netherlands cricket team, was in London visiting the mum of his wife, Leontina Campbell, with their two kids for Easter.

Parker choked back tears while delivering the news on Tuesday.

“What we understand is that Campbo was at a playground with his kids when he took a turn and he essentially laid down and had trouble breathing,” he told listeners.

Campbell during cricket training session at the SCG indoor nets in January, 2002.

“Fortunately, a stranger, a woman nearby, spotted him and started performing CPR immediately. Quite extraordinarily, she had just completed a CPR course herself.”

Campbell had a pulse when paramedics arrived about 15 minutes later and has been in hospital since.

Parker said Campbell was “fit as a fiddle”, adding: “This news is a real shock to his family and friends back home in Australia, who learned about it on Easter Sunday.”

Campbell took to Instagram just six days ago to share several photos from his recent visit to Perth, having been locked out for an extended period due to Covid border closures.

“It feels like I haven’t been home forever but the seven days with family and friends was awesome …. Thanks Perth,” he wrote.

Campbell was Western Australia’s long-term wicketkeeper and played two one-day internationals for Australia, both in 2002.

An aggressive batter who often opened the innings in white ball cricket, Campbell would have played more for Australia but Adam Gilchrist, a once-in-a-generation keeper-batter, was firmly entrenched in the national team.

The 50-year-old played 98 first-class games and made 105 List A appearances across a long career.

Campbell’s health drama comes after cricketing legend Shane Warne died last month from a suspected heart attack while on holiday on Koh Samui Island in Thailand.

Campbell batting during the Australia vs New Zealand one day tri series international match at the SCG in January, 2002.