Australian Test great Damien Martyn wakes up from induced coma

Australian Test great Damien Martyn has woken from an induced coma after more than a week in hospital with a serious bout of meningitis.

Martyn was admitted to Gold Coast University Hospital after falling ill on December 27 and was placed into an induced coma.

Former Australian Test and West Australian teammate Adam Gilchrist has been in regular contact with Martyn’s partner, Amanda, and his family, and confirmed Martyn is “now able to talk and respond to treatment”.

A statement released on behalf of Martyn and his family on Sunday said: “We would like to thank everybody for the incredible outpouring of support our family has received.

“Damien is progressing well with his treatment. We also want to express our deepest appreciation to the medical team at Gold Coast University Hospital, who have been nothing short of amazing throughout this challenging time”.

Former Australian cricketer Damien Martyn. Credit: Getty Images

Gilchrist said Martyn’s improved condition has raised hopes he will be able to move out of the Intensive Care Unit in the coming days.

“He has responded extraordinarily well since coming out of the coma to the point where his family feels it’s like some sort of miracle,” Gilchrist said.

“It has been so positive that they’re hopeful he will be able to move out of the ICU into another part of the hospital which is representative of what a great recovery it’s been and how quickly it has flipped around.

“He’s in good spirits and overwhelmed by the support. There is still some treatment and monitoring to go but it’s looking positive.

“He will remain in hospital and continue to receive treatment but the turnaround has been miraculous.”

Damien Martyn batting at the SCG in 2002.Credit: Getty Images

Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg, Indian champion VVS Laxman, and Ashes-winning England captain Michael Vaughan were among the cricket greats to send their best wishes to Martyn.

Regarded as one of Australia’s most gifted stroke-makers, Martyn scored 4406 Test runs at an average of 46.37. He debuted as a 21-year-old against the West Indies in 1992 and retired after the second Test of the 2006-07 Ashes series in Adelaide.

He was the player of the series the last time Australia won an away series in India, top-scoring in four of Australia’s eight innings at the crease in the 2004 battle for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Martyn scored an unbeaten 88 off 84 balls in Australia’s 2003 ODI World Cup final triumph, batting with a broken finger in a match-winning partnership with captain Ricky Ponting. He played 208 ODIs and scored 5346 runs at 40.09. He was a regular in one of history’s most dominant limited-overs teams.

Since retiring, Martyn has held various commentary positions and maintained a social media presence, posting on X as recently as December 24 about the Boxing Day Test.

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