Former Proteas star Daryll Cullinan opens up on cancer ordeal

Former Proteas batsman Daryll Cullinan has opened up about his recent battle with cancer.

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Cullinan, who played in 70 Tests and 138 ODIs for South Africa from 1993 to 2001, was speaking on The Cricket Nomad podcast earlier this week.

The 56-year-old said the diagnosis had come as a shock, but he was happy to share that he recently received his first "zero reading".

"I've been dealing with prostate cancer. Just out of the blue, a routine check, and then got diagnosed.

"I had it removed but it was still about ... I've been through radiation and hormone therapy, which I'm still under. But I'm still on track for [a] cure.

"Last Thursday I got my first proper zero reading, but the hormone therapy plays a role in starving the cancer cells because they live off testosterone. And that's what the hormone therapy does, it blocks your production of testosterone," he said.

Cullinan urged all men to go for regular medical check-ups.

"Go and get [tested]. Have your blood [samples] taken. I had no noticeable signs of it. There must be hundreds of thousands of men out there with no noticeable signs that are living [with it] until it’s too late."

In the wide-ranging interview (WATCH above), Cullinan also shared his views on the current state of cricket, late former Proteas captain Hansie Cronje, and touched on the Faf du Plessis incident that made headlines last year.

In his autobiography Faf: Through Fire, Du Plessis recalled an incident with Cullinan when he was a young cricketer at the Titans. 

Du Plessis said Cullinan made his dressing room experience uncomfortable when he went to sit next to him in a team meeting. According to Du Plessis, Cullinan said: "What the f**k are you doing next