I thought I was dying, says ex-cricket star James Taylor

Taylor, who studied his A Levels and played cricket for Shrewsbury School, was a promising batsman on the rise in April 2016, when he was forced to retire due to a rare heart condition called Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC).

At the time he had played seven test matches for England and had captained the one-day international side.

He had eyes on nailing down a test place ahead of an upcoming tour to Sri Lanka, but he suffered chest pains in a pre-season friendly for Nottinghamshire with Cambridge University and fell seriously ill.

Taylor spoke openly about the moments after he left the field that day, and how he thought he was going to die.

He said: "My chest started to tighten significantly and got worse and worse until I left the field. I went into a corridor and that is when I thought I was going to die at 10.30am.

"I had my head down the loo trying to be sick and the physio dragged me out because the toilet hadn't been flushed.

"But I wasn't thinking of anything else other than trying to be sick.

"I wanted it to end, I wanted to pass out because what was going on was awful, I thought I was going to die."

Taylor, now 28, and occasionally working for BBC Sport as a cricket commentator, was taken back to Nottinghamshire's Trent Bridge ground where he was picked up by his mother.

He believed it was just a virus, and despite his mum urging him to go to hospital, he has admitted he was too stubborn to go.

"I was left at the cricket ground and around 25 minutes later my mum came to get me, because I had left my belongings and house keys in Cambridge," he said.

"I was in such a state I needed to get home to my home comforts.

"Fortunately my mum picked me up from Trent Bridge where I was curled up in a ball at the bottom of the stairs.

"She obviously wanted the best for me and was adamant on taking me to hospital, but me being a stubborn son wouldn't listen.

"We all thought it was a virus so hence why I thought I'm not going and I can battle this one out."

Taylor was taken to hospital, where he was informed of the condition and was subsequently forced to retire from the game he loved.

Although he admitted while in hospital suffering incredible pain, he still had eyes on the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka.

He added: "When I was going into hospital I was being sick, my hands and feet were frozen which shows the state of my body.

"My head was concious though and working well, and I was just thinking of getting back for Sri Lanka, even though I was in hospital."