Damien Martyn has opened up on his “miraculous” recovery from meningitis, revealing he was given a “50/50 chance of survival” and was not able to walk or talk when he first woke from an induced coma.
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The 54-year-old, who played 67 Tests between 1992 and 2006 and 208 one-day internationals, was rushed to hospital in late December after falling ill while lying down.
He was treated for meningitis, which is an inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord.
Martyn was then placed in an induced coma and fighting for life. Fortunately, Fox Cricket commentator Adam Gilchrist revealed earlier this month that his former teammate had returned home after being released from hospital.
On Saturday, Martyn took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to show his gratitude towards his family, friends and the wider cricket community while revealing further details on his recovery and just how serious his condition was.
“This post is A BIG thank you to ALL my family, friends and so many other people who have reached out to me!” Martyn wrote.
“On the 27th of December 2025 my life was taken out of my hands…when meningitis took over my brain, & unbeknownst to me I was placed into a paralysed coma for 8 days to help me fight this awful disease. And that I did! Fight that is!….
“After being given a 50/50 chance of surviving, I came out of the induced coma 8 days later…not able to walk or talk. And yet 4 days after that, with the doctors in disbelief, I walked, I talked and proved to them all why I should be released from hospital to start my recovery.”
Known as one of the game’s great strokemakers, Martyn became a key figure in Steve Waugh’s all-powerful Australian side, hitting 13 centuries and averaging 46.37.
He was also part of the Australia team that won the 2003 ODI World Cup, cracking 88 not-out in the final against India in a match-winning partnership with Ricky Ponting.
Martyn, who retired in 2006 during the Ashes series, wrote that the bout of meningitis was a reminder of just “how fragile life is”.
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“So happy to be home, to be able to put my feet in the sand on the beach and to start thanking all those people that reached out to me and my family in their unwaivering (sic) support,” he added.
“This experience has reminded me of how fragile life is, how quickly everything can change & how precious time is!
“There are so many wonderful people in this world … from paramedics (at Mermaid Waters Ambulance), doctors & nurses (at Gold Coast University Hospital) … to family, friends and people I didn’t even know. I feel like I met all these fantastic people in the past 3 weeks, or they reached out to me through messages of love and support.
“I am so grateful to you all.
“Thank you! Bring on 2026 …I’m back!”
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