Chris Cairns off life support, 'able to communicate with family'

Former New Zealand allrounder Chris Cairns has been taken off life support and is recovering in hospital in Sydney.

The 51-year-old had suffered an aortic dissection in his heart in Canberra earlier this month and has undergone several operations since then. He was transferred to a specialist hospital in Sydney.

According to stuff.co.nz, Cairns is "serious but stable" as per the latest update provided by the hospital post his surgery. The former Kiwi all-rounder is communicating with his family.

"I'm pleased to advise that Chris is off life support and has been able to communicate with his family from hospital in Sydney," stuff.co.nz quoted Cairns' lawyer, Aaron Lloyd as saying in a statement on Friday morning.

"He and his family are thankful for all of the support and well wishes from everyone, and for the privacy they have been afforded. They request that this continues as they focus on his recovery moving forward," the lawyer added.

Cairns played 62 Tests, 215 ODIs, and two T20Is for New Zealand between 1989 and 2006. The veteran all-rounder amassed 3,320 Test runs at an average of over 33 and took 218 wickets at an average of just over 29.

In ODIs, Cairns gathered 4,950 runs at 29.46 and took 201 wickets at 32.80. Cairns was named as one of five Wisden Cricketers of the year in 2000 and is the son of former New Zealand all-rounder Lance Cairns.