By Neena Bhandari, IANS,
Sydney : Australian fast bowling great Glenn McGrath’s wife Jane passed away Sunday after a battle with breast cancer. Glenn – who recently spent weeks in India playing for Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League – and their two young children, James and Holly, were by her side when she breathed her last at home.
Jane, 42, had surgery earlier this year and was recovering, but complications set in and the past week saw a sudden decline in her health.
As the co-founder, along with her husband, of The McGrath Foundation, Jane has left a lasting legacy in providing thousands of women hope and support in their fight against breast cancer.
She co-founded the McGrath Foundation in 2002 after her initial recovery from breast cancer, when she experienced first hand the shortage of breast care nurses in Australia during her treatment. In January this year, the McGraths were awarded the Member of the Order of Australia for their commitment to fighting and raising public awareness for breast cancer.
Cricket Australia Chief Executive Officer James Sutherland said in a statement, “On behalf of Cricket Australia, but also I am sure of cricket fans everywhere, I offer our sincere condolences to Glenn, James and Holly, as well as to Jane’s broader family and many friends,”
“Jane was well-known, loved and admired throughout Australian cricket and was one of the most respected and admired members of the Australian cricket team family group during Glenn McGrath’s playing days. All of us who met her were charmed by her dignity and good humour as she tackled her battle with her illness for more than 10 years. We also greatly respected the work she and Glenn did through their Foundation, work which brought and will continue to bring tangible comfort to so many others”, Sutherland said.