Former England fast bowler Alan Igglesden has died at the age of 57, two decades after being diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour.
Igglesden played three Tests for England, debuting against Australia in the final match of the 1989 Ashes series at The Oval, where he claimed the wickets of Mark Taylor, Steve Waugh and Geoff Marsh.
Picked for the first Test of the 1993 Ashes series, a groin injury forced him to withdraw, denying him an opportunity for an extended run in the side to cement his spot.
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He played the first two matches of England’s series in the West Indies in 1994, but was dropped and never returned.
He enjoyed success for Kent at domestic level, taking 592 wickets in 283 matches.
“Kent Cricket is devastated to learn of the passing of former Kent seamer, Alan Igglesden, at the age of 57,” the club said in a statement.
“He retired from the game in 1999 after being diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour whilst playing minor counties cricket for Berkshire.
“After his diagnosis, he worked tirelessly to raise hundreds of thousands of pounds for The Brain Tumour Charity, the largest dedicated fundraiser of research into brain tumours globally, and an organisation of which he was a patron.
“The thoughts of everyone at the club are with his wife Liz and his friends and family at this desperately sad time.”
Igglesden’s death follows the passing of Australian Test cricketers Ashley Mallett, Alan Davidson and Peter Philpott over the weekend.
England’s Professional Cricketers’ Association said Igglesden showed remarkable courage during his battle.
“The PCA is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Alan Igglesden, who died peacefully at the age of 57 beside wife Liz, father Trevor and brother Kevin on the morning of Monday 1 November, whilst listening to his favourite musician Van Morrison,” it said in a statement.
“An absolute inspiration to everyone he encountered, ‘Iggy’ was a true cricketing giant in Kent, the county where he spent his entire playing career.
“He used his story to inspire others throughout this period, raising over £300,000 ($545,000) for the Brain Tumour Charity, the largest dedicated fundraiser of research into brain tumours globally.
“However, things took a turn for the worse when the tumour showed signs of growth once more in 2009, and then again in both 2015 and 2016. Iggy’s health problems were compounded when he suffered major strokes in 2018 and 2020 which left him in need of end-of-life care at his home in Keighley.
“Iggy’s strength and courage in the face of adversity were nothing short of inspirational.”
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