Alan Igglesden dies aged 57 after long battle with brain tumour

Alan Igglesden, the former Kent and England seamer, has died at the age of 57 after being diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour more than two decades ago.

In a statement on Monday, Kent said they were devastated to learn of Igglesden's passing. "The thoughts of everyone at the club are with his wife Liz and his friends and family at this desperately sad time," the statement said.

Igglesden made seven appearances for England - three Tests and four ODIs - between 1989-94, taking eight wickets, including those of Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh on debut in the sixth Test of the 1989 Ashes series.

Farnborough-born Igglesden made his debut for Kent against Somerset in July 1986 and he went on to make 283 appearances for the club, taking 592 wickets across first-class and List A games, including 19 five-wicket hauls for the county of his birth.

The right-armer was awarded Kent cap No. 187 in 1989 during a season in which he took 90 wickets in 42 matches for the club, having made his England Test debut that year.

He retired from the game in 1999, aged 34, when scans revealed a brain tumour after he had suffered an epileptic fit while playing minor counties cricket for Berkshire. He underwent pioneering treatment, which shrunk the tumour, but he faced a number of setbacks as the tumour showed signs of resuming its growth. In 2018 he suffered the first of two major strokes in the space of three years which left him receiving end-of-life care.

Igglesden raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for the Brain Tumour Charity, the largest dedicated fundraiser of research into brain tumours globally, and an organisation of which he was a patron. Earlier this year, his family released a film to raise funds and awareness for the Professional Cricketers' Trust, the charitable arm of the Professional Cricketers' Association (PCA).

The PCA said: "Iggy's efforts on behalf of the Trust were characteristic of his unwaveringly positive attitude towards life during his final years. He remained steadfastly committed to those who he loved, retaining a sharp sense of humour and a remarkable zest for life, even appearing via FaceTime at a golf day held in his honour to raise funds for both the Trust and the Brain Tumour Charity as recently as October. He will be sorely missed by everyone associated with Kent, as well as the wider cricket community."