Hampshire batsman Carberry diagnosed with cancer

The 35-year-old missed Hampshire’s County Championship game with Warwickshire which ended on Wednesday after feeling unwell.

Hampshire said in a statement: ‘Following recent reports about his health and now that he has spoken fully to his family, friends and team-mates, Hampshire Cricket can confirm that after a brief period of feeling unwell, a specialist has determined that Michael Carberry has a tumour that is cancerous.

‘Further tests will be undertaken before the relevant treatment commences.’

It is not the first time that Carberry has been diagnosed with a serious illness, after suffering from blood clots on his lungs in 2010.

He recovered from that, though needs to take medication to control the problem, and went on to play for England in all forms of the game.

Hampshire chairman Rod Bransgrove is backing him to win another fight.

Bransgrove said: ‘Michael has been part of the Hampshire Cricket family for 10 years and on behalf of everyone at and associated with the club, I would like to send him and his family our very best wishes at this very difficult time.

‘Carbs has taken on and beaten serious illness before and we will be doing all we can to make sure he does the same again this time.’

The left-hander, who last played for Hampshire in a Twenty20 game last Friday, featured in six Tests for England, five of them in the ill-fated 2013-14 Ashes tour, where he was the stand-out performer for Alastair Cook’s side in a chastening 5-0 loss.

Despite that, he could not keep hold of his place in the Test side but was considered for the shorter formats of the game and played in both one-day internationals and a T20 international against Sri Lanka before falling out of the reckoning when new coach Trevor Bayliss took up the position.