England quick Tymal Mills was at the airport about to fly out and join the Perth Scorchers for BBL|12 when a family emergency struck
Mills reveals daughter's stroke that kept him out of BBL
England pace bowler Tymal Mills has revealed his withdrawal from this season's KFC BBL was due to his two-year-old daughter suffering a stroke.
The left-arm seamer, an unused squad member as England won the T20 World Cup in Australia last month, pulled out of a planned stint at Perth Scorchers with a "family emergency" cited as the reason.
Mills elaborated on Wednesday that he and his family were at the airport waiting for their flight down under when his daughter, Delphi, fell ill earlier this month.
The 30-year-old posted a photo on Instagram of them leaving hospital.
"Home for Christmas after the most horrible 11 days," he wrote.
"As we were at the airport about to leave for Australia our daughter suffered what ended up being a stroke.
"She lost complete use of the left side of her body and we were told they couldn't predict how much she would regain.
"Despite all of the challenges she faced our little girl has amazed everyone with her recovery to (the) point where we were discharged with her hopping and skipping out of the hospital.
"She has lots of rehab, medication and scans ahead but we are so grateful to be where we are right now."
Mills played seven games as the Scorchers won last season's BBL title and was re-signed by the club in the inaugural player draft earlier this year.
Mills had earlier missed the birth of his second child, a son, in October while with the England squad.
His withdrawal from the BBL was third of the Scorchers three draft selections to be out of the tournament.
Laurie Evans had his contract torn up last month following a positive anti-doping test and Phil Salt was ruled out for the season with a shoulder injury picked up in England's final ODI against the Aussies.
Perth are also without Aussie T20 World Cup champion and club stalwart Mitch Marsh for the entire season after he underwent surgery on a troublesome left ankle that will leave him sidelined for three months.
The Scorchers have split their opening two games, beating the Sydney Sixers at home and losing to the Hurricanes in Launceston, and next play on Friday evening against the Stars at Junction Oval.