Former Australian cricketer Damien Martyn out of hospital but faces ‘long journey’, says Adam Gilchrist

Damien Martyn has been discharged from hospital nearly two weeks after contracting the life‑threatening virus meningitis.

Close friend and former Australian cricket teammate Adam Gilchrist revealed the good news during the coverage of the final day of the fifth Ashes Test on Thursday.

“Wonderful news for those around the world who have sent their best wishes, wondering about his welfare. He’s actually been released from hospital,” he said.

He still has a bit of a journey to go to recover, but it’s terrific — really wonderful — to know he is back home. His family express their gratitude and thanks to all the medical staff.

Mark Waugh said it was “almost a miracle really”.

“He was looking in really bad shape when he was in ICU,” he said.

Gilchrist praised the paramedics who responded to Martyn’s medical emergency.

“We saw the tribute to the first responders to the Bondi tragedy here — the standing ovation and the like. The word from the medical staff was the ambulance officers who treated him could not have done anything more perfectly,” he said.

“And that nipped the infection in the bud. He still has a bit of a journey to go,it was extreme, but great news he is back home.”

On Sunday, Gilchrist said the 54-year-old had been able to talk with friends and family.

“It’s been an unbelievable turn of events in the last 48 hours,” Gilchrist said in a statement.“He is now able to talk and respond to treatment.“He has responded extraordinarily well since coming out of the coma to the point where his family feels it’s like some sort of miracle.“It has been so positive that they’re hopeful he will be able to move out of the ICU into another part of the hospital which is representative of what a great recovery it’s been and how quickly it has flipped around.”

Martyn, a graceful right-handed batter who played 67 Tests, fell ill suddenly late last month and was rushed to a Gold Coast hospital, where he remains.

As recently as Christmas Eve, Martyn had been posting on social media about the ongoing Ashes series before falling ill with meningitis - an infection and swelling of fluid and membranes around the brain and spinal cord.

Gilchrist, VVS Laxman and Michael Vaughan were among the cricket icons to send him their best wishes.

“He’s in good spirits and overwhelmed by the support. There is still some treatment and monitoring to go but it’s looking positive,” Gilchrist said.“His wife Amanda just really wants to say to everyone she is convinced that the love, goodwill and sense of care that they felt from everybody, via messages and via the coverage in the press really helped him.“They just feel blessed so many people have wanted to support him in his time (of) need.“He will remain in hospital and continue to receive treatment but the turnaround has been miraculous.’‘

Born in Darwin, Martyn earned a Test debut at 21 replacing Dean Jones in the 1992/93 home series against West Indies and was Western Australia’s captain at 23.

He was player of the series the last time Australia won a series in India, topscoring in four of Australia’s eight innings at the crease in the 2004 battle for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

His Test high score of 165 came against New Zealand in 2005, one of 13 centuries Martyn made in the baggy green. He averaged 46.37.

Martyn retired from Test cricket midway through the 2006/07 Ashes series, playing his final match at the Adelaide Oval that summer.

He also played 208 ODIs, averaging 40.8 and scoring an unbeaten 88 runs as Australia defeated India in the final of the 2003 World Cup.

Martyn dabbled in commentary during retirement but has mostly kept out of the limelight in recent years.

With AAP