Former Australian cricketer Allan Border shared disheartening news with his fans on Friday, June 30. He opened up about his battle with Parkinson’s disease, a progressive nervous system disorder. Border confirmed this revelation to Newscorp, shedding light on his health condition.
While disclosing the news, Allan Border revealed that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2016, but chose not to share it with anyone until now. As he recollected the moment, he vividly remembered walking into the neurosurgeon’s office and noticing his own movements, which led him to directly address the diagnosis.
One of the reasons behind his decision to keep his condition private was his inclination towards a more reserved personal life. Border explained his stance, saying:
“I walked into the neurosurgeon’s office, and he said straight up, ‘I’m sorry to tell you, but you’ve got Parkinson’s. Just the way you walked in. Your arms straight down by your side, hanging not swinging.’ He could just tell.
“I’m a pretty private person, and I didn’t want people to feel sorry for me, sort of thing. Whether people care, you don’t know. But I know there’ll come a day when people will notice. I get the feeling I’m a hell of a lot better off than most.”
Despite facing this life-altering disease, Allan Border expressed his lack of fear towards it. In a light-hearted manner, he mentioned that this time he won’t be able to achieve another century, referring to his impressive cricket career. He also acknowledged the reality that reaching the age of 80 would be a miraculous milestone. He elaborated:
“At the moment, I’m not scared, not about the immediate future anyway. I’m 68. If I make 80, that’ll be a miracle. I’ve got a doctor friend, and I said if I make 80, that’ll be a miracle, and he said, ‘That will be a miracle. No way am I going to get another 100, that’s for sure. I’ll just slip slowly into the west.'”
Allan Border’s Stats and Records Allan Border has rightfully earned his place as one of the finest cricketers in Australian history. Throughout his career, he showcased remarkable performances that led to numerous victories for his team.
He participated in 156 Test matches and became the first batsman to score 11,000 runs, ultimately accumulating 11,174 runs in his career. Border also captained Australia to triumph in the 1987 World Cup and played 273 matches in the 50-over format. Following his retirement, he served as an Australian selector and established himself as a respected commentator in the broadcasting industry.
