Former Hampshire captain and cricket commentator Mark Nicholas has been taken to hospital for a second time in three days after falling ill during the second Test between Australia and Pakistan on Wednesday.

The 59-year-old Englishman was taken to hospital on Monday after suffering abdominal pains but discharged after Tests, with his employer Channel Nine reporting that he was in "good spirits".

He returned to the Melbourne Cricket Ground commentary box on Wednesday to commentate on day three of the Test but was taken to hospital again after suffering the same symptoms, a Cricket Australia spokesman told reporters.

Nicholas played 377 first class games and led English county side Hampshire for over 10 years before retiring in 1995 to carve out a career in journalism and broadcasting.