‘Had Raymond survived, he would have had brain damage which would have left him paralysed’

Mumbai: When Raymond van Schoor, the young Namibian all-rounder breathed his last on Friday, most of the members of his national side and Cricket Namibia officials were present at the Mediclinic Hospital in their country's capital city Windhoek. This was revealed by team physio Janine Snyman, who is also a good friend of the Schoor family.

25-year-old Raymond was playing a match against Free State on Sunday where he fell on the ground due to a brain stroke and was immediately taken to the hospital in an ambulance.

"Raymond had a cerebral infarction which means he had a blood-cot in his brain. Had he survived he would have had brain damage which would have left him paralysed," she said.

"Only two members were allowed in the ICU but when the news was first broken to the family (all family members were present in the hospital) by the treating neurologist (Dr Vaja Zatjirua), there were tears in all our eyes. I was there trying to support the whole family," she further added.

"Raymond (affectionately called Razor) dedicated his life to cricket, and although he was a fighter in every sense he remained a true gentleman of the game. His best years in the sport was yet to come," Snyman said.

Namibia's next match will be in South Africa next month and his absence will certainly be missed by skipper Stephen Baard and other members of his team.

Download the all new Deccan Chronicle app for Android and iOS to stay up-to-date with latest headlines and news stories in politics, entertainment, sports, technology, business and much more from India and around the world.