Aussie cricket great Tim May breaks down on live TV in emotional scenes as he opens up about his cancer battle: ‘I was an absolute fool’
- Tim May admitted he was ‘a coward’ and avoided a blood test
- Former off-spinner, 61, was later diagnosed with prostate cancer
- May also recently revealed a previous battle with alcoholism
Australian cricket great Tim May’s has delivered a very emotional message to Australian men in his battle against prostate cancer: don’t wait any longer and get checked now.
In emotional scenes, May, 61, was televised on Thursday during a live cross from the Adelaide Oval as Pat Cummins’ men took on the West Indies.
The former off-spinner – whose best figures in the Test arena were 5/9 – was chatting to ex-teammate and commentator Damien Fleming and veteran journalist Peter Lalor when the rawness of his situation became clear as Channel Seven’s cameras rolled on were rolling.
“I was stupid for not picking it up sooner,” May said.
‘I was a coward… I skipped a blood test because I was afraid of the results.
‘I was a fool. An absolute fool… and I don’t want anyone else to be a fool, or to be scared, because the sooner you get the test done, you can nip it in the bud.”
Australian cricketer Tim May (pictured left, with the late Shane Warne) broke down while delivering a prostate cancer message to Australian men on Thursday
May’s battle with cancer follows a recent interview in which he admitted he was previously an alcoholic (pictured with Shane Warne)
May hugged Fleming at the end of the segment, during which he also revealed that the testosterone blockers he has been taking to combat the disease left him “kind of like a woman going through menopause.”
“I get very teary sometimes, for no apparent reason,” he explained.
His call to action comes after the big Adelaide star admitted in a recent interview that he had not touched a drop of alcohol in four years.
He also had a stint in rehab, which he “loved.”
“I don’t want sympathy,” May told the newspaper Sydney Morning Herald.
“I’ve been sober for four years now… it (alcoholism) is a brain disease and people don’t understand it. They don’t understand why you can’t stop (drinking).
‘Now I pray every night… I thank him (God) for all my blessings. If necessary, I ask him for help. And if I have done something that I regret, I should express my regret and seek help. Can you make sure I don’t do that again?
‘I don’t know if there’s a real god or anything, but I feel like it’s working, I’ve never been happier. It’s light and day between my artificial happiness while I’m drinking.’
May went on to reveal that he underwent chemotherapy and radiation for 12 months after his diagnosis – and will continue his treatment for another year.
He labeled his cancer journey a “competition because it keeps trying to come back,” and said he will continue to take each day as it comes.
Readers who want to have their prostate checked can log in to: https://www.pcfa.org.au/ – Test kits are available and can be shipped to residential addresses across Australia.