Test cricketer Jesse Ryder has 'fractured skull' after late night attack Test cricketer's skull 'smashed' in attack New Zealand's Jesse Ryder reportedly suffered a fractured skull after trying to fight back as four men 'absolutely smashed him' in a Christchurch bar,. New Zealand cricketer Jesse Ryder tried to fight back as four men "absolutely smashed him" in a Christchurch bar on Wednesday night, a witness says. Ryder is understood to be in a coma in intensive care at Christchurch Hospital with a fractured skull and other serious internal injuries. His shirt was ripped off and they were kicking him and punching him while he was down. An eye witness, who only wanted to be known as Adam, said Ryder had his shirt ripped off his back and was on the ground as four men kicked and punched him outside Aikmans Bar in Merivale. Jesse Ryder ... was due to fly out to India to compete in the IPL. Ryder was lying in a bush "shaking, vomiting and covered in blood" in the carpark of Merivale McDonald's, which is opposite the bar, when two ambulances arrived to assist him shortly after midnight. Adam, who was drinking at the bar, said the brawl broke out behind him. "From what I could tell it looked pretty unprovoked," he said. In intensive care ... Jesse Ryder. Four caucasian men, believed to be in their late 20s, started punching Ryder in the bar's outdoor courtyard and the fight was quickly pushed out on to Aikmans Road, Adam said. Four dudes were just laying into him and absolutely smashing him on the ground. Ryder managed to stand up during the attack but was quickly knocked back to the ground, Adam said. He was not sure if the men were friends of Ryder, but said they "damn knew who he was." Ryder's attackers were swearing at him as they beat him. The four men ran off when police sirens were heard, he said. Steve Holmes, Aikmans' general manager, said Ryder was with Wellington teammates, who were drinking at the bar. But he would not say if Ryder was drinking. We are just working in conjunction with the police. The incident has happened off the premises, outside our licensed area. We are just providing support to police. Holmes said there was CCTV footage of the incident, but he was not prepared to say what was on it. It was just a nice average week night in Merivale, a good night's trade. We didn't have security on because it was quiet night of the week and we didn't need it. Alysha Green was at Aikmans last night and said Ryder was with a group of about six people. All of them were drinking, but didn't seem "overly intoxicated." They weren't causing any drama or drawing attention to themselves. There were only about 20 people in the bar when she left about 11.30pm. It was a good vibe. Everyone was calm and peaceful. McDonald's spokesman Murray Traill said he believed some of the attack happened on the fast food outlet's premises. They would be reviewing CCTV footage, but he believed it would be limited. In July last year, a 20-year-old suffered head and neck injuries after he was "glassed" in the side of the head with a beer bottle in Aikmans Bistro Bar. He was discharged from hospital the following day. Ryder was due to fly out tomorrow to start his $300,000 ($240,363) contract in the Indian Premier League. Yesterday, Ryder was dismissed for a first-ball duck when his team the Wellington Firebirds faced Canterbury Wizards. Ryder, 28, is in a self-imposed exile from international cricket, resisting calls to return to the Black Caps scene. He hasn't played for New Zealand since February last year. Black Cap star Ross Taylor tweeted his support this morning, saying he was thinking of Ryder, while a tweet from the Black Caps' team account echoed that thought. Ryder's manager Aaron Klee tweeted: "Thanks for the calls and msgs of support for Jesse. Just heading to Chch to see him. Ryder's boxing trainer Billy Graham was "devastated." "I just hope he pulls through, I don't know what else to say," he said. Graham worked extensively with Ryder in the ring while he swore off alcohol and said he thought Ryder had reached a really good place. Cricket Wellington's director, Robbie Kerr, called Graham about the incident this morning. Graham was meant to be receiving an award on Ryder's behalf on Tuesday night. New Zealand Cricket chief executive David White issued a statement saying "we are all shocked by what has occurred and extremely concerned for Jesse. New Zealand Cricket's thoughts are with him and his family. White, Cricket Wellington chief executive Peter Clinton and New Zealand Cricket Players' Association boss, Heath Mills, were going to Christchurch. It was understood they would hold a press conference this afternoon. Former England captain Michael Vaughan tweeted that it was "devastating news" and he hoped Ryder would pull through. Ryder's career has been blighted by off-field incidents, usually involving alcohol, though he appeared to be in a stable mindset this summer where he played consistently well for the Firebirds. Last year, he and team-mate Doug Bracewell were reprimanded by Black Caps team management for "unacceptable behaviour" after the pair "verbally reacted to taunts from a member of the public" outside a Napier bar. Ryder has been dropped from the Black Caps side multiple times, and in 2010 revealed his own troubled history with alcohol. Dad bounced when I was about 14; he just took off man. He just dropped me off at a mate's one day and said he'd see me in a week. He never came back," Ryder said in an interview. That's probably where that rebel streak and badness comes from. I just didn't have any boundaries once he left. I guess I could be classed as a bad boy and it's true, I did like going out on the p**s. It wasn't so much fighting, more so just getting on the beers with the boys. He said he had a real habit of binge drinking. I would be with my boys and we'd do drinking games. It was like 'bang' and I would be sculling drinks throughout the night which probably caused most of my problems. Fairfax NZ