2 hours agoThu 1 Jan 2026 at 8:13pm

Adam Gilchrist (left) spoke on Fox's coverage of the BBL about Damien Martyn's (right) condition. (Getty Images: Hamish Blair)

In short:

Adam Gilchrist says there are "positive signs" from recent tests on Damien Martyn, who is in hospital due to meningitis.

Gilchrist and Martyn were state and national teammates, and Gilchrist said Martyn's partner, Amanda, appreciated the well wishes from around the cricketing world.

Gilchrist said Martyn may not be fully appreciated by Australians because a lot of his best work on the field was done overseas.

Adam Gilchrist has provided a brief update on the wellbeing of former teammate Damien Martyn after it was revealed Martyn had been hospitalised with meningitis.

News came through on Wednesday that Martyn — a veteran of 67 Tests, 208 ODIs and four T20s — was in an induced coma in a Queensland hospital.

Meningitis is an infection and swelling, or inflammation, of the membranes around the brain and spinal cord.

After emerging as a prodigiously talented teenager, Martyn made his international debuts shortly after his 21st birthday.

Gilchrist played alongside him at under-17 level, as well as with Western Australia and Australia, and said Martyn's family, including partner Amanda, greatly appreciated people's concern.

Gilchrist said he would leave any of the finer details to medical experts, but said there were "encouraging signs".

"Thank you everyone for the heartfelt love and wishes and care for Damien as he goes through a challenging time," he said on Fox's broadcast of Thursday's Big Bash League game between the Perth Scorchers and Sydney Sixers.

"He's still in hospital. There'll be more details coming out as they come to hand but certainly in the last 24 hours some positive signs are the indications coming out of the various tests he's having."

Gilchrist said Martyn was a "great friend … a fine player and a terrific fella".

He said people from all around the world had reached out to show their love, which was fitting considering Martyn's brilliance with the bat away from home, where he scored nine of his 13 Test centuries.

"A lot of his best cricket work was done overseas, which is often the greatest challenge, out of your own comfort zone," Gilchrist said.

"The respect with which opposition teams speak about him, his talent and his quality, that's where it rings true.