Story taken in full from our friends at the Guardian. We would like to add our thoughts and prayers, to the many tributes already received, to Tom's family and friends. Firkin and Stumps, our cricket feature, will now not be posted until next week as a mark of respect.
Tom Maynard, the son of the former England player and coach Matthew who was regarded as one of the game's most exciting young players in his own right, has died at the age of 23 after being struck by a London Underground train in the early hours of Monday morning after being chased by police.
The Metropolitan police issued a statement confirming that Maynard's black Mercedes had been stopped at approximately 04.15am after it was seen being driven erratically. He got out on foot, and around an hour later his body was found on the tracks near Wimbledon Park station. The Met statement also confirmed that the Director of Standards and the Independent Police Complaints Commission has been informed.
Maynard, who was born in Cardiff, joined Surrey from Glamorgan last season, and was selected for the England Lions last winter. Surrey have postponed their Twenty20 fixture against Hampshire that was due to be played at The Oval on Wednesday as a mark of respect, and England and West Indies cancelled the press conferences at the ground that had been scheduled for Monday ahead of Tuesday's one-day international between the teams – although the game will go ahead as planned.
Richard Thompson, the Surrey chairman, said: "Our thoughts at this awful time are with Tom's family and friends. Tom Maynard was a prodigiously talented young batsman who had made an incredible start to his career and was clearly destined for far greater things. The impact Tom made in such a short period of time for Surrey CCC spoke for itself. There is a profound sense of loss at the passing of Tom. To lose anybody at such a young age is an utterly senseless tragedy."
The chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board, Giles Clarke, said: "This is a very sad day for everyone connected with Surrey and Glamorgan where Tom spent the early part of his career. Tom was a player of enormous potential who had already represented England Lions and had an exciting future ahead of him. Our hearts go out to the Maynard family for their tragic loss and we send them and all Tom's many friends and colleagues within the game our deepest sympathies."
Matthew Maynard has been coaching and living in South Africa since leaving Glamorgan at the end of the 2010 season, months before his son.
Tom had played for Surrey in a Twenty20 match against Kent at Beckenham on Sunday afternoon. British Transport Police issued a statement confirming that he had been struck by a District Line train near Wimbledon Park station.
"The incident was reported to BTP at 05.03am and was also attended by Metropolitan police officers. London Ambulance Service medics attended but the man was pronounced dead at the scene. The incident was reported to BTP at 05.03am and is currently being treated as non-suspicious."
The England players were told of Maynard's death as they arrived at The Oval for practice and Steve James, a former Glamorgan captain and a close friend of Matthew Maynard's, summed up the shock around cricket when he tweeted: "The lovely kid who was always in our Glamorgan dressing room grew into a man who would have played for England. How can he be gone so soon?"
Several others in the game have also expressed their shock on Twitter. Mark Ramprakash, Maynard's team-mate at Surrey, said: "Life can b so cruel! Tom Maynard – a really nice guy who was a pleasure to play with & will b really missed. RIP Tom."
The former England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff tweeted: "Tragic news that a great lad, Tom Maynard is no longer with us. All my thoughts are with his family at this awful time x x," while the former England captain Michael Vaughan wrote: "Thoughts are with Matt Maynard and his family.. Words can't describe the Terribly sad news that Tom Maynard has died aged 23... #RIPTOM."
Hugh Morris, a former Glamorgan team-mate of Matthew Maynard who is now the managing director of England cricket, said: "It's an absolute tragedy. I've known Tom since he was a little boy, and our thoughts go out to Sue and Matthew - his parents - and all his friends and family. Tom was an incredibly talented cricketer but he was an incredibly likeable young man as well who had the world at his feet.
"In many respects he played just like his old man did. Matthew played for England and Tom was very much on that pathway. He played for the Lions last winter and impressed all the coaches there. To have his life cut short in this way is an absolute tragedy. It's a very difficult time for everybody."
England have called the Warwickshire all-rounder Chris Woakes into their squad for the remaining two matches of the one-day series as cover in case Maynard's Surrey team-mate Jade Dernbach is unavailable on compassionate grounds.
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