Australia Test bowler Hastings retires because of bleeding on lungs
John Hastings has retired from cricket because of a mystery condition that was causing his lungs to bleed when he bowled, ending a decorated career which saw the fast bowler play for Australia in all three formats of the game.
Key points:
- The physical pressure of bowling caused blood vessels in John Hastings's lungs to burst
- Hastings was contracted to play in the upcoming BBL season
- He played for Australia in all three forms of cricket
The 33-year-old Hastings, who admitted he worked "bloody hard" on his professional cricket career, has been forced to come to terms with an exit from the game without a definitive medical diagnosis.
"I don't think anyone [in cricket] has had this happen," he said.
"It's hard to explain, that's the main thing I wasn't happy with. Just that unknown and uncertainty.
"But I'd hate to go down the track and have some complications, so it was better to be safe than sorry."
The condition, which leads Hastings to cough up blood after bowling, re-emerged as he trained in preparation for the upcoming domestic season with the Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash League.
"It's just a really strange thing, the pressure at the bowling crease just caused my blood vessels in my lungs to burst," Hastings said.
Hastings opted to call time on his career, instead of continuing with increasingly invasive tests, after seeking a diagnosis from a variety of specialists.
"There were other ways to test it, but those things didn't sit well with me," he said.
"There are a couple of testing procedures they [can] do with weightlifters, where they put cameras down their throats and test the pressure in their lungs.
"[But] the logistics wouldn't stack up as a bowler running in."
Hastings made his debut for Australia in one-day and Twenty20 internationals in 2010.
He played a lone Test in 2012, while the last of his 29 appearances for Australia in one-day internationals was against New Zealand in the 2017 Champions Trophy.
A return to international cricket might have been unlikely, but Hastings knew he could have gone on for several more years in domestic cricket if not for his condition.
"I would have loved to have kept playing, but it just wasn't meant to be," he said.
"It's been a rough five or six months [with tests], but I've had a lot of really good support around me."
Hastings was frustrated with his premature retirement but satisfied with his cricketing achievements.
"The important thing to note is that I'm actually in really good health," he said.
"I'm taking the steps to put it behind me and move on. Some of the memories flooding back, travelling around to different places around the world, I'm really comfortable with what I've been able to achieve in the game."
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ABC .net
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