A FORMER cricketing legend who died on Christmas Day was the victim of post-surgical complications, his family heard at an inquest this week.

Geoffrey Pullar, who lived in Canute Place with his wife Patricia, debuted for Lancashire in 1954 aged just 18.

Within two years he was a regular player in Old Trafford’s first team batting at three, four and five and making his debut for England as an opener.

Described by a family friend as, ‘a very significant test cricketer and a major sportsman’, Mr Pullar was well known within the community of Knutsford.

The inquest heard how Mr Pullar was admitted to Wythenshawe Hospital on December 10 after feeling a continued numbness in his foot and leg.

Mr Pullar, who had a history of high blood pressure and had received a knee replacement, was seen by experts at the hospital who decided to form a procedure to reduce a clot found in his leg.

A few days after the procedure, Mr Pullar returned home after being discharged by medical staff at Wythenshawe Hospital.

Professor Baguneid, Consultant Vascular surgeon at Wythenshawe Hospital, said: “He was dizzy and unstable at first but on the day of discharge he was stable and able to manage walking stably. His recovery was normal for someone who had a poor blood supply.”

But after returning from hospital on December 16, Mr Pullar did not seem to make a full recovery.

He was visited by district nurses who attended to a bruise on his leg left by a small puncture wound made during the procedure.

Mr Pullar’s condition deteriorated and he was taken to Macclesfield Hospital on December 23, where specialists in Intensive Care found that he was suffering from Septicaemia caused by the puncture wound.

This had spread to his artificial knee causing septic arthritis and multiple-organ failure.

Doctors at Macclesfield Hospital battled to save him but unfortunately the situation was ‘irretrievable’ and Mr Pullar passed away on December 25.

Pathologist, Dr Butterworth, said that the infection was an ‘unintended consequence that could not be predicted in advance.’

Without the clot busting surgery, Mr Pullar would have lost his leg.

After hearing evidence from medical professionals from both Macclesfield and Wythenshawe Hospital, the coroner concluded that Mr Pullar died from ‘complications arising out of a necessary surgical procedure’.

He is survived by his wife, Pat, sister, Marjory, daughters, Sara and Rebecca, and grandsons, Thomas, Adam and Harry.