Australian Test cricketer Phillip Hughes passed away today at the age of just 25 after Tuesday’s deadly blow from a bouncer during a Sheffield Shield match. It is a shocking day in world cricket as this is the first time in modern day cricket that an International star has lost his life because of an incident on the field in a first-class match!
As we know the ongoing Sheffield Shield matches have all been abandoned on Tuesday because of the devastating head injury to Phillip Hughes at Sydney. Today, the second day of the 3rd Test between Pakistan and New Zealand at Sharjah has been suspended indefinitely as per a mutual agreement between the two teams. The cricketers were looking very somber and it would be difficult for all the cricketers wherever and whichever format or level they might be playing to recover from the fact that a cricket ball can indeed take one’s life!
Phillip Hughes was a hugely talented left-hander who is known to pile up centuries after centuries. The 25-year-old was all set to play in the upcoming 1st Test against India at the Gabba but for the most unfortunate incident that took his life.
It is reported that it was only a matter of millimeters that has taken the life of Phillip Hughes to a bouncer from Sean Abbott. A bit of luck could have had the helmet absorb most of the shock from the heavy and hard cricket ball.
Tragedy is that in three days time, Phil Hughes would have been celebrating his 26th birthday had he not attempted to play that hook shot against Sean Abbott and rather ducked under it. It is a huge shock for his family as his mother and sister were watching the Sheffield Shield match live in the stadium when Phil Hughes was felled down by the 135 kmph speed bouncer.
Born on November 27, 1988 in Macksville, New South Wales, Phillip Hughes has played 26 Tests, 25 ODIs and one T20I for Australia from 2009 to 2014. Phillip Hughes had scored 26 first-class centuries and 8 List A centuries which includes 3 Test hundreds and 2 ODI hundreds. Hughes who had started off with New South Wales moved to play domestic cricket for South Australia.
The late Phillip Hughes was batting on 63 for South Australia when he failed to connect a hook shot against his former state team New South Wales. Most of the cricketing world and fans had expected that in the worst case scenario, Phil Hughes’ cricketing career may have ended. But the common cricket fans who do not have much medical knowledge could have never thought that Phillip Hughes would die because of the bouncer. Phillip Hughes’ death could put Sean Abbott in a spot of bother as it would be difficult for the latter to recover from the shock that it was his bouncer that killed a human being!