Heart crisis: Abid Ali’s cardiac condition raises alarm bells

Pakistan Test cricketer Abid Ali has been in the news lately, but for all the wrong reasons. The right-handed has been recently diagnosed with a particular heart condition namely ‘acute coronary syndrome’.

Senior Cardiologist Dr Sohail Khan from the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD), while talking to BOL News, said that such a condition amongst athletes is rare.

“Acute coronary syndrome is a term used to describe a range of conditions associated with sudden, reduced blood flow to the heart,” he explained. “One such condition is a heart attack (myocardial infarction) — when cell death results in damaged or destroyed heart tissue. Timely treatment of this disease is very important. If left untreated, it can damage the heart and can even lead to death. Diagnosis of heart disease in athletes is a matter of concern. If even professional athletes are not safe from it, then the situation of a common man can be estimated.”

Rumours starting to circulate on social media that after being diagnosed with the condition, Abid will not be able to play professional cricket.

However, Dr Sohail Khan believes that with timely treatment, an individual can resume professional activities in three to four weeks.

“With timely treatment, the patient can return to normal life in three to four weeks and he can resume his professional activities,” he said. “The highest number of deaths in Pakistan is due to heart disease, which has many causes. In this regard, we need to work on this on an emergency basis.”

What happened?

Abid complained about chest pain during the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy match between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Central Punjab in Karachi where he was batting at the score of 61.

He was immediately taken to the hospital for an electrocardiogram (ECG). Later the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed that the opening batter left the ground while he was due to chest pain.

“He was taken immediately to a cardiac hospital where he was diagnosed as a case of acute coronary syndrome. He is under the care of the consultant cardiologist who is liaising with the PCB medical team regarding further treatment,” the cricket board’s statement read.

Later, the PCB further confirmed that the opening batter underwent two different procedures after being diagnosed with ‘acute coronary syndrome’.

Abid’s road to recovery:

Abid Ali shared a video on his Twitter platform recently where he can be seen doing light exercises as per the instructions of the doctor.

The right-handed batter is currently in Karachi where he is going through a rehab program under the supervision of the PCB.

“Alhumdulilah, getting back in the momentum as per the doctor’s instructions,” he tweeted. “A big thank you for the immense love and support shown by my family, friends, and followers.”

Abid was discharged from the hospital on December 25 after he underwent two angioplasty procedures.

In the domestic circuit, Abid has been a consistent run-getter with a cumulative of over 10,000 runs across formats.

Abid Ali’s career span (2019-2021)

Abid Ali was born in Lahore on 16th October 1987 and made his List A debut in 2005 and has scored more than 3300 runs in around 90 matches.

The right-hander started his first-class career in 2007 in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy while representing the Lahore Ravi team.

Ali was the leading runs scorer in Pakistan’s premier First Class competition’s 2017/18 edition where he scored 541 runs in only seven innings.

Soon after his consistent domestic performances, he was selected to play for the national side in March 2019. He became the 15th batter overall and 3rd Pakistani to score a century on his ODI debut.

The 34-year old made his debut in the 50-over format against Australia at the Dubai International Stadium on March 29, 2019.

He registered the highest score by a Pakistan batter on his ODI debut of 112 off 119 balls with the help of nine fours.

He is only the third batter representing the Men-in-Green in the history of ODIs to score a century in his first fixture. The other two were Saleem Elahi (102 not out against Sri Lanka in 1995) and Imam-ul-Haq (100 against Sri Lanka in 2017).

Ali later made his debut in the five-day format against Sri Lanka at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in December 2019 where he scored an unbeaten 109.

Athletes and heart problems

Athletes, who are often looked at as a prime example of fitness, are interestingly not immune from cardiac problems. Several athletes have suffered cardiac arrests during the match or while preparing for it. We are bringing you a list of some of the notable incidents that took place and shocked the world of sports.

Sergio Aguero

Veteran striker Sergio Aguero’s remarkable career came to an end following cardiac and respiratory difficulties.

The 33-year-old announced the decision in a press conference on December 16 where he was accompanied by family members, Barcelona president and members of Manchester City, Atletico Madrid and Argentina.

On October 30, Aguero fell to the turf, holding his chest while in discomfort as club medics rushed on.

After a lengthy spell of treatment on the pitch, Aguero was able to stand up and walk out of action. The striker was then swiftly sent for cardiological tests.

The club said after he underwent heart tests in November that Aguero would be unavailable for the next three months while the effectiveness of treatment was evaluated.

Aguero will be remembered for arguably one of the iconic goals in club football when in 2011-12 he scored a 94^th-minute winner to hand Manchester City their first title in the Premier League era and a first top-flight trophy since 1968.

James Taylor

England’s James Taylor had to abandon his career at the age of just 26 after he was diagnosed with a rare heart condition which meant that vigorous exercise could’ve threatened his life.

Taylor was throwing balls as a part of his preparations for a match against Cambridge University when the symptoms struck, and the right-handed batter informed the authorities that something was very wrong.

He was diagnosed with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) which is a heart muscle condition that affects the right ventricle. He was later told that exercise can only worsen his condition and may cause sudden death.

Beau Casson

Australia’s spinner Beau Casson was another athlete who became a victim of acute heart disease and he was forced to retire at the age of 28, in November 2011.

The left-arm wrist-spinner was diagnosed with ‘Tetralogy of Fallot’, which is a congenital heart condition and can be fixed if diagnosed at a young age.

Casson was told by the doctors that if he continues to play professional sports, the condition could become life-threatening.

Later, he had to undergo surgery to treat his heart condition, but his health worsened. He managed to play just one Test for Australia in 2008.

Christian Erikson

Attacking midfielder Christian Eriksen suffered a heart attack on-pitch during Denmark’s opening Euro 2020 match against Finland. He was given CPR by medics on the field and was transferred to the hospital where his condition stabilized.

His initial reports suggested that he had an early shock with a defibrillator which shook him out of a lethal cardiac rhythm and he only managed to survive because he was provided medical help on time.

His contract with the Italian club Inter Milan was later terminated with mutual consent on December 18 as he was not allowed to take part in the Serie A because of his cardiac device implant.

Cheick Tiote

Former Newcastle United midfielder Cheick Tiote died during a training session in June 2017 at the age of just 29.

The Ivory Coast international was training with the Chinese second-tier side Beijing Enterprises, whom he joined just four months earlier when he collapsed and was taken to hospital. He later died despite receiving emergency treatment.

Before joining the Chinese club, Tiote spent more than six years at English Premier League side Newcastle, where he established himself as a fan favourite with a series of committed midfield performances.

He is best remembered for a stunning long-range goal in February 2011 to complete a famous comeback for the Magpies from 4-0 down to draw 4-4 with Arsenal. It was his first and only goal for the Toon Army.

Miklos Feher

Hungary’s striker Miklos Feher passed away aged just 25 after suffering a heart attack on the field.

On January 25, 2004, Fehér was in Guimarães facing Vitória de Guimarães while playing Benfica. He came as a substitute but in the injury time, he collapsed on the field.

Players from both teams reached to revive him and they were joined by the medical staff present at the stadium. He was swiftly shifted to the hospital where he was announced dead later that night.

Marc Vivian Foe

Manchester City midfielder Marc Vivian Foe was another high-profile footballer who died after collapsing on the field.

During an international tournament in June 2003, Vivian Foe, who was playing for Colombia, collapsed in the center circle on the 72nd minute and was stretchered off the field.

Though the defensive midfielder was alive upon arrival at the stadium’s medical centre but died shortly afterwards.

Autopsy’s result concluded that his death was due to heart-related complications as it discovered evidence of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a hereditary condition that is known to increase the risk of sudden death during physical exercise.

Antonio Puerta

Wing-back Antonio Puerta was another unfortunate athlete who could not make it after suffering a cardiac arrest on the field.

Puerta, collapsed after jogging towards his own goal, just 35 minutes into the opening league game of the 2007-08 season, against Getafe while playing for Sevilla.

He later died at the age of 22 on 28 August 2007, from multiple organ failure stemming from prolonged cardiac arrest.

Phil O’Donnell

Scotland’s Phil O’ Donnel died of sudden heart failure during a match against Dundee United in December 2007.

The 35-year-old midfielder collapsed just as he was about to be substituted. He played for Scotland, Celtic, and Sheffield Wednesday in his career.

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