Former Australian cricketer Damien Martin has woken up from a coma while in hospital, his Australian teammate Adam Gilchrist has announced.
“The last 48 hours have been an incredible experience,” Gilchrist said in a statement on behalf of Martin’s family.
The 54-year-old Martin, who played 67 Tests between 1992 and 2006, fell ill late last month and was admitted to a Queensland hospital on December 27.
“[Martin] has responded so well since coming out of the coma that his family consider it a miracle. He is now able to speak,” the statement said.
Gilchrist said Martin’s condition was “very positive” and medical staff were hopeful he would be able to leave intensive care.
Meningitis is an infection of the protective membranes around the brain and spinal cord.
It can come on suddenly and can be fatal within hours if not treated quickly.
Gilchrist and Martin’s family also thanked the staff at Gold Coast University Hospital.
“They have done an amazing job throughout this challenging time,” they said.
Martin, who made his Test debut at the age of 21, played four Ashes series and scored 4,406 Test runs at an average of 46.37 in his career.
He won two World Cups with Australia and retired before the third Test of the 2006-07 series.
In the 2003 World Cup final, Martin batted with a broken finger and scored an unbeaten 88.
Martin was also a prolific one-day international batsman, scoring 5,346 runs in 208 matches, with five centuries and 37 half-centuries.
He represented Yorkshire as an overseas player in 2003.
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