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Emburey reveals skin cancer

John Emburey, the former Middlesex and England spinner, has revealed that he is suffering from a form of skin cancer and has undergone surgery on the condition

John Emburey believes a career spent playing cricket in the sun contributed to his skin cancer  •  Getty Images

John Emburey believes a career spent playing cricket in the sun contributed to his skin cancer  •  Getty Images

John Emburey, the former Middlesex and England spinner, has revealed that he is suffering from a form of skin cancer and has undergone surgery on the condition. He believes being exposed to the sun during his career contributed to the disease developing.
"It's the result of playing cricket for so many years, not wearing a hat and not wearing sun cream,'' he said. "When I played, there wasn't the same awareness of how much damage the sun can cause as there is now.''
Emburey, 61, told the Sun that he had surgery on an area of his forehead on Tuesday to remove a basal cell carcinoma, which he became aware of four years ago. He attended an England practice session at Lord's during the week sporting a black eye and stitches to his forehead.
"It isn't the most aggressive form or life-threatening," he said of the cancer. "They say it can be eliminated through surgery and there might not be a scar.''
Emburey played 64 Tests and 61 ODIs for England, collecting more than 200 wickets between 1978 and 1995. He went on to coach Middlesex after his retirement and is still involved with the ECB as an occasional spin consultant.