England and Nottinghamshire batsman James Taylor has been forced to retire because of a serious

heart condition.
Scans have shown that Taylor, 26, has a condition similar to the one which affected footballer
Fabrice Muamba.
Taylor, who has played seven Tests and 27 one-day internationals for his country, posted on Twitter:
"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 missed his county's pre-season fixture against Cambridge MCCU with what was thought to
be a viral condition.

James Taylor posted on social media shortly after news of his retirement was announced
However, his county revealed he has been diagnosed with Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular
Arrhythmia (ARVC) in a statement in which England team director Andrew Strauss spoke about his
"shock" and "sadness".
"Throughout his career, he has constantly impressed with his determination to make the absolute
most of his ability," said Strauss.
"It is immensely cruel that such a hard working player will be unable to fulfil his great potential in
the international arena."

Fabrice Muamba urged Taylor to embrace the next stage of his life after his unexpected news
Footballer Muamba collapsed when his heart stopped for 78 minutes while playing for Bolton
Wanderers against Tottenham Hotspur in 2012.
He has since retired from the game.
iWonder guide: Who saved Fabrice Muamba's life?

What are symptoms of ARVC?

Palpitations

Light-headedness

Fainting

Breathlessness

Abnormal heart rhythms

Swollen ankles or legs

Swelling in the abdomen

Risk of sudden death on exertion

Source: British Heart Foundation

Cricket reacts to Taylor's retirement

Mick Newell, England selector and Nottinghamshire director of cricket: "James has been a
smart, intelligent batsman, who wins games. He's a big loss to England and Nottinghamshire, and a
big loss to the game.
"His county stats are very impressive for Leicestershire and Notts and some thought he should have
played for England sooner. But he waited and worked hard - he never slackened off in his desire
and took his chance when it came. He would have played a lot of cricket for England.
"He was one of the most influential one-day batsmen in the county game and he made the most of
every ounce of his talent.
"He's understandably devastated but grateful that it was spotted. He is lucky that it was picked up
now, which puts the cricket into context.
"People will miss him. He's a lovely kid."
Jonathan Agnew, BBC cricket correspondent
"It's easy to take a step back and be detached and say 'thank goodness he's been diagnosed' and
there isn't a terrible tragedy for the Taylor family here to cope with.
"He'll obviously be desperately disappointed but the bigger picture has to be that it's a serious
condition and hopefully it can be treated and he'll live a normal life.
"But when you're a sportsman, you're 26 with the world at your feet, and you want to play at the
start of a new season - clearly it's devastating for him.