Jack Leach: A Fighter On and Off the Pitch

Jack Leach is most famous for his successful international cricketing career, but many may not know that he was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease aged at just 14, the now 33-year-old has had many challenges along the way but has not let them stop him from achieving over 100 test wickets.

Perhaps the highlight of Jack’s career to date will have been his vital supporting role to current England captain Ben Stokes during the 2019 Ashes, coming to the end of the third test (of a 5 match series) with England trailing 1-0, Jack Leach walked to the crease as the final batter with England needing 73 more runs to win, knowing that a 0-2 scoreline with 2 tests to play would end England’s chances of a series win. 

What followed was a mesmerising passage of play with all the ups and downs of a Hollywood script, from breathtaking stroke play, dropped catches and comedic running between the wickets, captivating the crowd at every turn. In the unbeaten 76 run partnership, Jack Leach scored just 1, but perhaps the most important 1 not out in the history of the game as England went on to win the game by just 1 wicket.

The euphoric heights of this occasion were short lived however as things took a dramatic turn for the worse a month after the series, as Leach suffered food poisoning and was hospitalised with a bout of sepsis. As Jack suffers from Crohn’s disease he takes immunosuppressant medication, this leaves him with a diminished immune system and as a result a sepsis infection could be life-threatening.

Unfortunately, a bout of sepsis did arrived soon enough. It started in New Zealand in 2019, when he played the first test, but was left out to do 12th man duties for the 2nd.

After the first day’s play, Jack went out and had a chicken burger before waking up in the night feeling like he had food poisoning. Jack had diahorrea, vomiting and a high temperature, after trying to get through the night he phoned the team doctor who gave him some ibuprofen and paracetamol, hoping that it may have just been a bug.

His whole body was aching and sweating, he had lost water through vomiting and was in a bad way. Jack crawled to the hotel room door of the club doctor, and was promptly placed in a wheelchair, where he was transported to hospital, where he would stay for the next two days, being treated for sepsis.

Now, a few years on from his experience Jack is keen to make others aware of his condition so that they can treat it as a medical emergency.

Leach’s story strikes a chord with me personally. For a long time I was very ill with sepsis early in my life and was gravely ill as a result. Jack’s dad also had sepsis after his son’s ordeal, but thankfully was able to seek treatment in time because he knew the signs. Because of this Jack urged more testing in an interview with The UK Sepsis Trust, saying “I encourage anyone who even thinks the tiniest amount that they could be suffering, just ask, could it be sepsis”.

Jack Leach's story is a testament to the human spirit's ability to overcome adversity. Despite battling Crohn's disease and a near-death experience with sepsis, he has emerged not only as a cricketing hero but also as a champion for sepsis awareness. His journey serves as a powerful reminder to prioritize our health, fight for what we believe in, and never give up on our dreams.