Former English pacer David Lawrence diagnosed with motor neurone disease

Former English and Gloucestershire fast bowler, 60-year-old David Lawrence, has been diagnosed with motor neurone disease.

MND is a rare condition that affects the brain and nerves, leading to progressive weakening over time. While there's currently no cure for MND, various treatments are available to help mitigate its impact on a person's daily life.

A powerfully built fast bowler, Lawrence represented England in five Test matches and made 298 appearances for Gloucestershire, claiming 625 wickets for the club. In 2022, the former cricketer made history by becoming Gloucestershire's first Black president. 

A horrific knee injury abruptly ended Lawrence's career just as he had established himself in the Test team. On the final day of a dead Test against New Zealand in Wellington in 1992, Lawrence fractured his left kneecap as he was about to bowl, collapsing in agony with his chilling cries echoing around the stadium. Spectators likened the sound of his knee splitting to a pistol shot. This injury ended his Test career and effectively his first-class career. Five years later, he attempted a comeback, playing four first-class matches for Gloucestershire before retiring for good. Nonetheless, he remained physically active and later pursued competitive bodybuilding.

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In 2021, he publicly addressed his experiences with racism at Gloucestershire, prompting the club to issue an unreserved apology. Since then, he's been actively involved in delivering the African-Caribbean Engagement Programme in Bristol.

His diagnosis, disclosed by the club on Friday, places him among the recent cohort of athletes impacted by MND, closely following the recent passing of former rugby league player, Rob Burrow, from the disease earlier this month.

Lawrence is the best of people-kind, loving, considerate and an inspiration to all: David Brown

Gloucestershire's departing chief executive, David Brown, and Ian Thomas, managing director of member services at the Professional Cricketers' Association (PCA), essentially emphasized the profound legacy of Lawrence and extolled his myriad human attributes. They expressed deep shock within their organizations since Lawrence's diagnosis was disclosed, offering heartfelt wishes for his resilience in battling the disease.

“David is an icon of the game, a club legend and a trailblazer as the first British-born Black player to play for England. More than that, he's the best of people—kind, loving, considerate, and an inspiration to all of us here at Gloucestershire,” said Brown.

“The PCA is in deep shock at the tragic news David Lawrence has recently received. David has been an inspiration throughout his cricket and post-cricket career and we have no doubt he'll continue to fight and show his determination to fight MND,” said Thomas.