Nicholas to take leave from commentary box

Channel Nine commentator Mark Nicholas has taken leave from work after he was rushed to hospital twice during this Boxing Day Test with abdominal pains.

The Englishman fell ill on the opening day of this Test and was taken from the MCG press box to a local medical facility, before being discharged later that night.

Read more: Nicholas suffers a second health scare

He was ordered to rest on Tuesday and did not commentate on day two of the match, but returned on Wednesday morning to continue his role leading Nine's coverage.

But during the final session on day three, Nicholas was again taken away by medical staff and transported to the local Epworth Hospital.

Nicholas had interviewed Pakistan legend Wasim Akram during the tea break, but fell ill a short time later.

The Nine Network has released a statement confirming that Nicholas would be taking time away from the game to sort out his health issues.

"Mark is taking leave to resolve his health issues," a Nine spokesperson said.

"He wants to thank everyone again for their kind wishes and continued support."

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