Damien Martyn's heartwarming post (Source: @leicsccc/x.com, @damienmartyn/x.com)
Not every cricket comeback is scripted on the 22 yards; some are written in the toughest battles of life. In the last month, the entire Australia was in shock as 2003 World Cup-winning player Damien Martyn was admitted to the hospital due to meningitis.
Cheating death after slipping into a coma, Damien Martyn pulled off the most courageous comeback of his life. After returning to life, the Australian great penned a heartfelt note on social media, appreciating all the love and support from family, fans, and others.
Damien Martyn breaks silence on his health battle and overwhelming support
Sometimes life throws the biggest bouncers, and those who face it with a brave heart become the real superheroes. After falling seriously ill on Boxing Day, Damien Martyn was rushed to hospital, where his condition took a shocking turn, and he was placed in an induced coma. Prayers came from every way, from former cricketers to fans, everyone came together to wish him a speedy recovery.
Fighting the toughest battle of his life, Martyn tackled the situation as easily as he used to tackle the bowlers in his playing days. Defeating the disease, he was discharged from the hospital. As he steps into a new chapter, Martyn shared a deeply emotional note, reflecting on his fight.
“This post is A BIG thank you to ALL my family, friends, and so many other people who have reached out to me. On the 27th of December 2025, my life was taken out of my hands…when meningitis took over my brain, & unbeknownst to me, I was placed into a paralysed coma for 8 days to help me fight this awful disease. And that I did! Fight that is!...,” he wrote.
“After being given a 50/50 chance of surviving, I came out of the induced coma 8 days later…not able to walk or talk. And yet 4 days after that, with the doctors in disbelief, I walked, I talked and proved to them all why I should be released from hospital to start my recovery,” he added.
A brave return that taught Damien Martyn his biggest life lesson
After a long battle, the Australian star has finally returned home, and nothing is better than a homecoming. His life may have faced a massive threat, but that gave him the biggest life lesson. Before that, Damien Martyn heartfeltly thanked everyone who stood firmly by his family during the darkest days.
“So happy to be home, to be able to put my feet in the sand on the beach and to start thanking all those people that reached out to me and my family in their unwaivering support,” he wrote.
“This experience has reminded me of how fragile life is, how quickly everything can change & how precious time is!” he added.
Damien Martyn’s heartfelt gratitude wins hearts
During the tough time, the Aussie battle may fought the bravest battle, but the doctors and other paramedics gave their heart out just to bring him back to life. Though he once wore the Australian jersey, his battle drew concern from across the globe. As he begins a new innings off the field, Martyn thanked everyone for the overwhelming love and support.
“There are so many wonderful people in this world … from paramedics (at Mermaid Waters Ambulance), doctors & nurses (at Gold Coast University Hospital) … to family, friends and people I didn’t even know. I feel like I met all these fantastic people in the past 3 weeks, or they reached out to me through messages of love and support,” he wrote.
“I am so grateful to you all. Thank you! Bring on 2026 …I’m back!” he concluded.
Back in the 1990s, when Australia was dominating world cricket, they found another fearless warrior in Damien Martyn. Making his Test debut in 1992 against the West Indies, he stunned the world with his heroics. Representing Australia in 67 Tests, he scored 4406 runs along with 13 hundreds. His ODI career was just as impactful, scoring 5,346 runs with five hundreds in 208 matches.
