The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has announced that batsman James Taylor has retired from Cricket at the age of 26, the reason being serious heart condition. Taylor plays county cricket for Nottinghamshire.

Thought of a viral infection, the cricketer withdrew from a game last week against Cambridge MCCU. But, a serious heart condition called Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Arrhythmia (ARVC) was revealed in the scans.

On his Twitter account, Taylor  wrote, "Safe to say this has been the toughest week of my life! My world is upside down. But I'm here to stay and I'm battling on!" Taylor played 27 ODIs and 7 test matches for England. The middle order batsman captained the side in May 2015 against Ireland.

In an ECB released statement,  England team director Andrew Strauss said that, "It is both shocking and saddening to hear that James' career has been cut short in such a sudden and unexpected manner."

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"Throughout his career, he has constantly impressed with his determination to make the absolute most of his ability, and it is immensely cruel that such a hard working player will be unable to fulfil his great potential in the international arena.

"The ECB will work closely with Nottinghamshire and together we will do everything possible to help James through this difficult period, and aid him in his recovery."

- Sumana