article: Media playback is not supported on this device And as he looks back on the year when his career as a professional sportsman came to an abrupt end at the age of 26, he admits to being "very, very lucky". Taylor's heart was beating at 265 beats per minute for six hours. Most people would have passed out in about 10 minutes. "Thankfully I was so fit I could withstand it. Six hours is a good effort," he told BBC East Midlands Today. "It's ironic, that because I am so fit and did so much exercise it ultimately saved me. It's a funny one." Taylor's heart condition - Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC) - gets worse with exercise, but had never been diagnosed until he felt ill during pre-season with Nottinghamshire in April. Retirement was inevitable, and the internal defibrillator he had fitted two months later has already saved his life for a second time. "My operation was not to make anything better," he said. "This condition can't get better, but if something goes wrong it is a safety net. "If it happens again - and it has - it certainly did its job. It gave me a massive shock. But it did its job." Taylor treasures the memories of what proved to be his farewell to international cricket. He played in all four matches in last winter's series win over South Africa, taking two stunning catches in the brilliant third Test victory in Johannesburg. "Who would have thought my best moment in cricket was my last moment in cricket?" said Taylor, who won seven Test caps. "All I wanted in my career was to play for England and I had fought so hard and there had been so many ups and downs. I felt I should have played far more than I did. "Then it was all taken away from me. It kind of summed up my career. I got there and it got taken away from me. "The best moment I have ever had in my life was one of the last days playing cricket for England, catching those catches in Joburg, winning that game with England, playing for your country amongst some great guys. "It doesn't get much better than that. I achieved it, but I just did it less than I imagined and hoped. But I can't complain." Taylor does not complain because he is still alive, but the stubbornness which underpinned his cricket career very nearly led to his demise when he knew all was not well playing for Notts against university side Cambridge MCCU in April. "It was very lucky a few things happened," the ex-Leicestershire player said, recounting the sequence of events and "what ifs" that led to his diagnosis. "I am lucky I have a girlfriend for starters - in a lot of ways! I am lucky that Jose was off work and I rang her to say I was ill. "And if I hadn't forgotten my keys for my house I wouldn't have got my mum involved. She found me curled up in
summary: The very thing that almost killed former Nottinghamshire and England batsman James Taylor also saved his life.