City cricketer saves life of team-mate who collapsed

FAST BOWLER SUFFERED CARDIAC ARREST

A COVENTRY cricketer is alive today thanks to his team-mate after suffering a cardiac arrest during a match in the city.

Wasim Lodgi, 54, had been the star of the show – taking four wickets – before collapsing during the Warwickshire Cricket League clash between Peugeot CC and Pak Shaheen.

His Pak Shaheen team-mate Asad Khan used CPR, learned during an English Cricket Board coaching course, to re-start the fast bowler’s heart before land and air ambulances arrived at the scene.

Mr Lodgi is now in Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital awaiting a heart bypass operation.

He was transferred there after being first rushed to Coventry’s University Hospital.

All-rounder Mr Asad is now calling on others to learn first aid skills.

“Doctors at the hospital said if I had not performed CPR on Wasim, he would not have survived,” he said.

“It just shows how important it is to get first aid training. It could save another life.”

The drama unfolded during last Saturday’s match at Peugeot’s Coventry ground in Sunbeam Way. Understandably, the game was abandoned.

“There seemed nothing wrong with Wasim, nothing at all,” said 51-year-old Asad, who runs his own fashion business.

“Before the match, he did nets to warm up and started the bowling. He was very competitive, very relaxed.”

But after 10 overs, Wasim fell to the floor.

He wasn’t breathing”As soon as he collapsed, we all rushed towards him,” said Asad.

“He was not breathing, there was no pulse . We called the ambulance, but everyone thought he was finished.

“His eyes were rolled up; his face had turned blue; his mouth was foaming.

“There was no-one else trained in CPR and I thought ‘If I don’t do it, no-one will. I kept pressing his chest until a puff of breath came out.

“When that happened, I put him in the recovery position, but he stopped breathing again. I started CPR again.

No recollection”My hand was hurting, but I had no other choice. There was another puff of air and his heart started beating again.”

Ambulances arrived just 12 minutes after the emergency. Asad has since visited his colleague in hospital.

“The only thing he can remember is taking the four wickets,” he said.

“He has no recollection of collapsing, but his wife and family have thanked me for saving his life.”

From his hospital bed, Wasim, from Coventry, echoed the call for people to become first aid trained.

And he said there have been four deaths on the field since he started playing cricket.

“It would be great,” he said, “if this incident put pressure on the cricket authorities to make it mandatory to have a first aider in each team.”