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SYDNEY (AP) — Former Australia captain Allan Border has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and has said it will be a ‘miracle’ if he lives to 80.

Border, the first player to score 11,000 runs in tests and captained Australia to an improbable one-day international World Cup victory in 1987, said Friday he received the diagnosis in 2016 but chose to hide it from the public.

“I’m a pretty private person and I didn’t want people to feel sorry for me sort of thing,” the 68-year-old told News Corp. “Whether people care you don’t know. But I know there’ll come a day when people will notice.”

Australia's Nathan Lyon, center, arrives with team-mates while walking on crutches ahead of day three of the Ashes Test match between England and Australia, at Lord's cricket ground in London, Friday June 30, 2023. (Adam Davy/PA via AP)

Australia spinner Nathan Lyon will miss the rest of the second Ashes test against England at Lord’s after straining his right calf.

FILE - Australia's Sam Kerr celebrates after scoring against England during the women's international friendly soccer match between England and Australia at the Gtech Community Stadium in London, England, Tuesday, April 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)

Sam Kerr and the Matildas will have more than 80,000 fans in the stadium and much of Australia watching when they start their Women’s World Cup campaign against Ireland.

England's Ben Duckett leaves the pitch after being dismissed for 98 runs during the second day of the second Ashes Test cricket match at Lord's Cricket Ground, London, England, Thursday, June 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

England has slashed Australia’s first-innings lead of 416 to 138 after two days of the second Ashes test at Lord’s.

England's Ben Stokes grabs a Just Stop Oil protestor, during day one of the second Ashes Test cricket match at Lord's Cricket Ground, London, England, Wednesday, June 28, 2023. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)

Australia was made to bat and responded by punishing fading England bowling in ideal conditions at Lord’s to post 339-5 by stumps on the first day of the second Ashes test.

Parkinson’s is an incurable disease that causes progressive brain damage, with common symptoms of loss of muscle control, tremors, muscle rigidity and slowness of movement.

“I get the feeling I’m a hell of a lot better off than most,” Border said. “At the moment I’m not scared, not about the immediate future anyway.

“I’m 68. If I make 80, that’ll be a miracle. I’ve got a doctor friend and I said if I make 80, that’ll be a miracle, and he said, ‘That will be a miracle.’

“No way am I going to get another 100, that’s for sure. I’ll just slip slowly into the west.”

After his debut in 1978, the left-hander batter scored 27 centuries in 156 tests. He took over the captaincy from Kim Hughes in the summer of 1984-85 and is regarded as reviving Australia’s on-field fortunes with a World Cup victory in India in 1987 and leading an unfancied Australian team to an Ashes series victory in England two years later.

Border retired in 1994 with a 50.56 batting average placing him among the enduring greats of the sport.