Former New Zealand all-rounder Chris Cairns is in an intensive care unit at a Sydney hospital after being moved from Canberra for urgent treatment following a serious health event.
St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney said Cairns had been admitted on Tuesday.
"He is in a serious but stable condition in intensive care," a spokesperson said.
Chris Cairns arrives at Southwark court on Friday the 30th of November 2015 Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Newshub on Tuesday reported 51-year-old Cairns had recently suffered an aortic dissection during a heart incident in Canberra. An aortic dissection is a tear in the body's main artery.
It said the former cricketer had not responded to treatment as hoped.
Regarded one of the best all-rounders of his era, Cairns played 62 tests, 215 one-day internationals and two Twenty20 matches for New Zealand between 1989-2006 before becoming a television pundit.
His father Lance also represented New Zealand in cricket.
The news has rocked New Zealand, where former team mates expressed sympathy for his family.
"It's absolutely devastating. It's the worst news you could possibly get," former New Zealand team mate Chris Harris told local media.
Cairns has lived in Canberra for several years with his children after his marriage to Australian Melanie Croser in 2010.
After retiring from international cricket, Cairns was the subject of allegations of matchfixing in India as captain of the Chandigarh Lions in the defunct Indian Cricket League (ICL) in 2008.
He denied any wrongdoing and fought several legal battles to clear his name, winning a libel case against former Indian Premier League chairman Lalit Modi in 2012.
In 2015, he was cleared of perjury in relation to the libel case after being charged by Britain's Crown Prosecution Service.
Former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum, who testified against Cairns during the perjury trial, said the cricket community was suffering along with Cairns's family.
"It's a difficult subject to obviously talk about. We haven't seen each other for quite a long time," McCullum, a host on New Zealand radio station SENZ, said.
"Our relationship is unimportant in the whole thing, the fact is that Chris is a father and also a son to Lance and (mother) Sue.
"Today my family and myself are thinking of those people who are suffering."
In a statement released to TVNZ this afternoon, wife Melanie Cairns gave further details on her husband's health.
"As has now been widely reported in the media, Chris suffered a major medical event in Canberra late last week," Melanie said.
"He initially underwent surgery in Canberra, but the seriousness of his condition is such that he has now been transferred to St Vincent's hospital in Sydney, where he has undergone further cardiovascular surgery."
News of Cairns' health prompted plenty of support to pour in for the family, including from Brendon McCullum. The former Black Caps captain having testified against the allrounder in a 2015 perjury trial about match fixing.
Melanie said the family was thankful for all the support they've received.
"Chris' family and friends are heartened by the respectful and warm manner in which this terrible news has been reported, and received by the public, both in New Zealand and around the world, and thanks everyone for their warm wishes, prayers, and kind words," she said.
"For now, no further statements will be made regarding Chris' situation, and the Cairns family asks that people continue to respect their privacy as they deal with this difficult, upsetting and concerning situation."
In a separate statement, a St Vincent's Hospital spokesperson said Cairns is in a "serious but stable condition in intensive care".
- Reuters / TVNZ