A former Notts and England batsman who was forced to retire because of a serious heart condition has joined the coaching team at Northants.
27-year-old James Taylor joined Nottinghamshire in 2012 from Leicestershire, the same year he made his test match debut for England against South Africa.
His heart condition, called arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC), is similar to that of Fabrice Muamba who suffered a heart attack on the pitch when Bolton plays Spurs at White Hart Lane in the FA Cup; his heart stopped for 67 minutes but he survived.
James Taylor stopped playing in April 2016.
Speaking about his decision to join Northants, he said: “I’m excited; they are a skillful side who have clearly done well in one day cricket in the past.
“I spent a bit of time commentating at The County Ground last season and am keen to offer up my expertise to the squad.
“While my focus will no doubt be on the batsmen, I will be on hand to assist across all areas and I can’t wait to get started.”
Northants head coach David Ripley said: “James has a fantastic 50 over record, averaging over 50 which is obviously outstanding.
“It’s very unfortunate for James not to be playing anymore but it’s great to see his desire to still be involved with the game.
“I believe he can offer good advice and relay his one day cricket experiences on to our batsmen.”
