South Africa players pledge 50,000 Rand to help for the rehabilitation of Solo Nqweni

South African all-rounder Solo Nqweni is going through horrendous times at the moment. The Eastern Cape all-rounder was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome while playing club cricket for Aberdeenshire last July, post which he spent four weeks in an induced coma. Since then the all-rounder has been receiving treatment in a Scottish hospital for the past five months.

And, now South Africa men’s senior side has pledged a significant amount of money for the rehabilitation of the all-rounder, who returned home in January to undergo the recovery process in Johannesburg. The cost of rehabilitation is pretty significant and various fund-raising initiatives have been set-up to assist Solo, a Cricket South Africa release said which also revealed that a total of Rand 5000 [US$ 3330 approx] have come from the Quinton de Kock-led men’s squad.

“Through the good and the difficult times, players always stand together and this is no different. The decision to stand by Solo, as part of the cricket family was an easy one to make.” Test captain Faf du Plessis said in a statement as quoted by ESPNCricinfo.

Quinton de Kock, the ODI captain, said, “On behalf of the Proteas, we would like to wish Solo all the best with his rehabilitation and we hope to see him on the field in the future.”

Nqweni was on his first overseas assignment when he picked up flu

Nqweni featured for the South African U19s back in 2012 and since then, he has been contracted to Eastern Province and the Warriors franchise. The all-rounder was on his first cricketing assignment to Aberdeenshire where, after two months, he was diagnosed with the flu. 

When the symptoms of the flu didn’t subside, it was only then that Aberdeenshire club insisted Nqweni to seek medical intervention. The National Health Service [NHS] proceeded to diagnose him with Guillain-Barré and was admitted to hospital on July 14th.

“The thing about Guillain-Barré is that you lose control over your muscles and so, can’t control your ability to breathe,” Humphries said as quoted by ESPNCricinfo.

Nqweni had to be put into a coma so a machine could do the work of his lungs. “There were about three to four weeks where it was touch and go,” Humphries said. “And the other thing is that it doesn’t affect the mind, so you are completely aware of what is happening. It’s being trapped in your own body.”

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