Vijay Hazare 'critical but stable'

Vijay Hazare, who was admitted to hospital 15 days ago for age-related problems, is in a "critical but stable" condition, according to reports from the Press Trust of India. He remains in an intensive-care unit.

Hazare, who is now 89, was one of the heaviest runscorers in the history of Indian domestic cricket, and once put together a run of 264, 81, 97, 248, 59, 309, 101 and 223 in 1943 and 1944. He captained India in 14 of his 30 Tests, in which he scored 2192 runs at the impressive average of 47.65, with seven centuries - two of them in the same match, against Australia at Adelaide in 1947-48, and two more in his first two matches as captain, against England in 1951-52.

The BCCI has already put forward Rs 2 lakh (close to £2500) for his treatment in a private hospital, and Kiran More, the former Test wicketkeeper and now the secretary of the Baroda Cricket Association, the state for which Hazare played, visited him recently.

His immediate family are by his side, but his son, Ranjit, is currently in Malaysia.