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Cricket

06th Sep 2024

Ex-Ireland cricketer Simi Singh fighting ‘life-threatening’ condition

Ryan Price

The 37-year-old represented Ireland for five years.

Indian born Irish cricketer Simi Singh is currently battling for his life in India after being diagnosed with acute liver failure.

Singh, who is Ireland’s top all-rounder of all time, is currently awaiting transplant in the ICU of a hospital in Gurugram – a city in northern India.

The news of Singh’s condition was shared in a statement posted to the Cricket Ireland website yesterday.

The CEO of the organisation, Warren Deutrom, wrote: “We have received shocking news that our friend Simi Singh is currently dealing with life-threatening health circumstances.

“On behalf of Cricket Ireland, and indeed the wider Irish cricket community, I would like to extend our best wishes and prayers to Simi as he takes on this new fight.”

He continued: “After moving to Ireland, Simi has become a central figure within Irish cricket – whether at international, provincial or club level – he has shown a desire and drive to succeed.

“We now hope that this same drive will see him come through the current circumstances.

“Stay strong, Simi, we’re all behind you.”

Cricket Leinster, whom Singh also played for during his time in Ireland, also shared a message of support for their former star.

They wrote: “Everyone across the club cricket community is thinking of our good friend Simi Singh and wishing him a full recovery. Go mbeannaí Dia thú Simi.”

According to Times of India, Singh is now waiting for a liver transplant to be performed. His wife -Agamdeep Kaur – who works in Dublin, has agreed to donate a part of her liver.

The cricketer’s father-in-law, Parvinder Singh, told the publication about his son-in-law’s condition: “Some five-six months back, when he was in Dublin, Ireland, Simi developed a strange kind of fever which kept coming and going. He got himself examined there, but nothing conclusive came out in the check-ups.

“The medical professionals there said they couldn’t find the underlying cause and therefore they wouldn’t start medication.

“The process was getting delayed and Simi’s health was deteriorating, so we decided to get him treated in India for ‘better medical attention’. Simi flew to Mohali in late June, and after a few consultations with various physicians his treatment started in PGI, Chandigarh in the beginning of July.”

He continued: “There the line of treatment was taken for TB (tuberculosis) and antibiotics were given to him. Later, results came out that he didn’t have TB.

“As his fever didn’t subside, we took him to a private hospital in Mohali for a second opinion. There, we were told that Simi didn’t have TB, but the course of the medicines – six weeks – had to be completed. Along with the TB medicines, steroids were also given to him.

“After that his fever started increasing again and he developed acute jaundice. In the last week of August, we took him back to PGI where he was admitted to the ICU.

“But his health kept deteriorating and the PGI physicians detected that he had developed acute liver failure,” he added.

“Thankfully, Simi’s blood group is AB+ which means he is a universal receiver. The doctors say that matching with his wife won’t be a problem. The transplant is likely to be performed very soon, and the doctors are positive that the outcome will be in Simi’s favour and will give him a new lease of life.”

Singh represented Ireland for five years, playing 35 ODIs and 53 T20Is but last featured back in 2022.