Blair Tickner Opens Up On Wife's Cancer Battle And Its Impact On His Career

New Zealand fast bowler Blair Tickner says witnessing his wife's battle with cancer two years ago changed his perspective on life, and he now focuses on enjoying his cricket rather than being weighed down by the pressure of performance that marked the early stages of his career. Tickner made his New Zealand debut in T20Is in 2019 before earning ODI and Test call-ups in 2022 and 2023 respectively. Things became difficult for him personally when his wife, Sarah, underwent eight months of cancer treatment after being diagnosed with leukaemia in April 2024. She was discharged from hospital on Christmas Eve that year and has remained in remission since. Tickner is currently part of New Zealand's ODI squad for the home series against India and has made 19 appearances in the format so far.

"My life, yeah, it's been up and down," the 33-year-old pacer said ahead of the second ODI against India.

"It's amazing to have Sarah and my family through it all. And, I guess, now I'm just trying to enjoy my cricket and I'm probably being a bit more myself.

"I think I've had different parts of my career. At the start of my career, I felt a lot of pressure, then when we had Sarah's cancer treatment, it was hard," he reflected.

Tickner said the perspective he has gained over the past two years has helped him understand the importance of enjoying every moment.

"Now I'm sort of at the back end of my career and I'm looking forward to just having fun, really. That's what I'm trying to do and trying to show in my game."

The New Zealand pacer, who is also a father, said he has come to realise that cricket, while important, is not the most important part of his life.

"I try to play with a smile on my face and, yeah, there's a lot more to life than cricket. It's done a lot for me, but I know that at the end of the day, I'm going to go home to my daughter and my wife, and I'm pretty happy and pretty lucky to do that.

"So, yeah, cricket's a little bit less than that."

India won the rain-affected first ODI by five wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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