Along with Children's Day in India, November 14 has another significance as it marks the World Diabetes Day. This day is certainly one of the biggest health events of the year, with the condition being very common in India.
Along with Children's Day in India, November 14 has another significance as it marks the World Diabetes Day. This day is certainly one of the biggest health events of the year, with the condition being very common in India.
There have been cases in sports as well and not just cricket. One of the widely known names in European football, Nacho, Spain and Real Madrid's defender has been suffering from type 1 diabetes. While almost all sportspersons have made it fighting the condition, there have been a few unlucky cases as well and one such we'll see in cricket.
Let's go through the list of cricketers who have suffered from this condition, yet continued to play the sport.
1. Wasim Akram (Pakistan)
)
The Pakistani legendary pacer was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes as early as at an age of 29 but he didn't let that ruin his career as he eventually ended up as one of the greatest his nation had ever produced in cricket. "I was diagnosed with diabetes in 1997. I was only 29 years old. I thought my life was gone — no more cricket. But, my wife gave me mental strength. It’s just mental discipline. Temptations are there. I feel like having biryani every night — naans and kulchas, and niharis. But I avoid it," Akram once said. PC: AFP
2. Craig Cumming (New Zealand)
)
Former New Zealand cricketer Craig Cumming found that he had type 1 diabetes in 2006 and like just like Akram, Cumming was shattered too thinking his cricket career was over. "The way I was feeling mentally and physically I was probably ready to give up cricket. You need a fair bit of mental and physical strength but I'd lost all that and remember making a phone call to a good friend . . . and talked about whether I wanted to continue playing. But once I started on insulin it was like I'd been injected with energy," Cumming, who 23 international matches for the Kiwis said. PC: Twitter
3. John McLaren (Australia)
)
The right-handed batsman, who played one Test for Australia and 33 First-Class matches for Queensland, died of diabetes in 1921. PC: AFP (Representational Image)
4. Craig McMillan (New Zealand)
)
The New Zealander, who was diagnosed Type 1 diabetes at an early age of 15, always had a bag of jellybeans with him in the middle to lift his sugar levels if he felt he was running low. The result of the self-belief and being mentally strong was an 11-year-old international career with a 3,116 Test and 4,707 one-day runs. PC: AFP
5. Dirk Wellham
)
The right-handed batsman, who hailed from New South Wales, was among the cricketers who played despite having diabetes. In his six-year-old career, he scored 636 international runs in 22 matches (6 Tests and 17 ODIs). PC: Twitter
