Thursday 29 / May / 2025
MUSCAT: In another shocking incident, an amateur cricketer collapsed on the ground while playing and passed away on Friday morning.
Dhanesh Vazhappilath Madhavan, a 38-year-old cricketer, died while playing a ‘Friday morning friendly league’ game for Saal Fighters Misfah team at a ground in Misfah. Dhanesh is survived by his wife and a three-year-old son, who live in India.
Confirming the unfortunate incident, Srijesh, skipper of Saal Fighters Misfah team, said: “He was an athletic player and was an active all-rounder for our team. He has been playing for us on Fridays for the past couple of years. We usually play 16-over matches with a tennis ball and on Friday, he batted and bowled. While taking his position on the field, he collapsed all of a sudden. We initially thought that he had felt dizzy and collapsed.
“We immediately rushed to a nearby hospital in Misfah. Unfortunately, it was closed and we rushed to a bigger hospital in Ghubra where the doctors declared him dead on arrival.”
On being asked he was given CPR, Srijesh, said: “We don’t have much of an idea about it and we just rushed him to the hospital thinking that he may have got giddy and fallen down. It is very unfortunate as he appeared to be fit during our regular weekly Friday league matches.”
Dhanesh worked in the Readymix Division of Galfar Engineering and Contracting Company, and his body will be flown to his native town of Thrissur after the procedures of repatriation are completed.
Third such incident this year
Dhanesh’s demise brings to attention the urgent need for more awareness for amateur players to have a proper medical checkup and also the need to learn CPR techniques for players.
The year 2023 began with the unfortunate death of a badminton player while playing on indoor courts in January and in August, an amateur cricketer from Pakistan died during an unofficial 'afternoon league' match.
Muhammad Jaffar, a 38-year-old cricketer, was playing in a tennis-ball league tournament, organised by MOCL, at Al Hail for the Modern XI side.
Awareness campaign needed
Reacting to the latest death of Dhanesh, one of the founders of a popular cricket amateur league, Muscat Tennis Ball Cricket League (MTCL), Shaheer Ahmed, told Times of Oman: “There has to be an awareness campaign launched in the Sultanate and we plan to do it soon in close coordination with Oman Cricket, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth and couple of hospitals, who would like to join hands with this noble initiative.
“We have seen at least five deaths over the past couple of years and I am gathering information on all the casualties. I hope a proper awareness campaign to highlight the need for a proper medical checkup is key and also there should be lessons on how to administer CPR during such tragic incidents.”
Important to go for medical checkups
Leading sports injury consultant, Dr E B S Ramanathan at Muscat Private Hospital, said: “Such incidents could be caused by cardiomyopathy, which could lead to heart failure. There could have been a prevailing condition that has not been detected in the player. This is why it is very important to go for medical examinations for amateur and professional sportspersons.”
He added: “The most common heart muscle disease that causes sudden cardiac death (SCD) in athletes is called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) – a disease in which the heart muscle becomes abnormally thick. The thickened heart muscle makes it harder for the heart to pump blood sufficiently to the rest of the body.”
Sudden cardiac death is a tragedy at any age and under any circumstances but is perhaps most tragic when it claims the life of the sportsperson, an individual who epitomises health and a healthy lifestyle.
