Chris Cairns, Former New Zealand Cricket All-rounder, On Life Support In Australia

Former New Zealand all-rounder Chris Cairns is on life support at a hospital in Canberra after suddenly collapsing due to a major health issue, a report said on Tuesday. (More Cricket News)

According to a report in 'New Zealand Herald', Cairns "suffered a major medical emergency - an aortic dissection - in Canberra last week" and "will be transferred to a specialist hospital in Sydney soon."

Aortic dissection is a serious condition in which a tear happens in the inner layer of the body's main artery.

"He has reportedly undergone several operations while in hospital, but has not responded to treatment as hoped," the report said.

One of the best all-rounders of his time, Cairns played 62 Tests, 215 ODIs and two T20Is for New Zealand between 1989 and 2006. His father Lance Cairns also played for New Zealand.

The 51-year-old, however, later faced allegations of match-fixing when he played in the now-defunct Indian Cricket League in 2008 and fought many legal battles to prove his innocence during which he won a defamation case against IPL founder Lalit Modi in London in 2012.

He again faced fixing allegations from fellow cricketers Lou Vincent and Brendon McCullum before being acquitted of perjury and perverting the course of justice following a gruelling trial in London court in 2015.

Fighting corruption allegations took a toll on his life and at one point of time he had to take up a job with the Auckland Council to drive trucks and clean bus shelters to foot the legal bills.