I’m really not sure what to write about today’s events. It’s so sad. Words seem more than a little inadequate at this time.
Cricket is a game we watch and play for enjoyment, so when someone gets seriously hurt our passions and partisan support for one team or another seem entirely trivial.
It’s a bit more serious for the professions – careers and livelihoods are a stake – but even for them cricket is still, in essence, just a game.
I’m sure all English cricket fans wish Phil Hughes all the best. He’s always seemed like a decent guy.
It’s tragic that something so horrible can happen to someone so inoffensive, so randomly, for no apparent reason.
Although Hughes didn’t play in the last Ashes series and has been off our radar for a while, we mustn’t forget his contributions for Worcestershire in 2012.
Hughes topped the championship batting averages with 560 runs at an average of 35 (with two centuries), and absolutely excelled in one-day matches, scoring 486 runs at a whopping average of 81 (with another two centuries). The picture above, which was tweeted by the club this morning, shows him receiving his county cap.
By all reports he was well liked and respected by everyone at the club (as both a player and a person). As a Worcestershire fan, I feel particularly sad that he’s now lying in a hospital bed fighting for his life.
Although our thoughts are primarily with Hughes and his family, let’s not forget about poor Sean Abbott either. What happened must be traumatic for all the players, but especially the bowler involved.
Next time we get a fired up, and want our fast bowlers to knock someone’s block off (metaphorically of course), perhaps we should pause and consider our choice of language.
Hopefully players will do the same. We don’t want to see more serious injuries – whether it’s broken arms, skulls or anything else. Get well soon Hughesy. We’re all thinking of you.
James Morgan
Hear hear – easy to forget the danger inherent in facing proper fast bowling, even with all the safety equipment.
There’s not much one can say at a time like this. My thoughts are with Phil Hughes, Sean Abbott and their families. Wish them the very best. Terrible incident. Reminds us that cricket remains a dangerous sport.
Thank you for this James. Beautifully said for all of us.
Very well said James.
Only one word…Gutted.
Very well expressed,James
Well said James. Wishing Phil a full and speedy recovery.
if the coaches had not tried to make him orthodox, he might have been Bradmanesque. He backed away from the short stuff and cut it rather than “fronting up like a real man”. The Aussie coaches destroyed him. If you look back to accounts of 1932-33, it was all aboui how Bradman did not play the short-stuff properly. But he averaged over 50 in that series by backing away and swatting through the off-side. And the reporters said it destroyed team morale because he did not front it out. With the right backing, Hughes could probably have broken that paradigm. Sadly, it might be too late. I wish him all the best.
It is unclear how much of Phil Hugh’s final outcome will be determined by the injury sustained from the impact of the ball and how much will be the result of a hypoxic brain injury from the subsequent cardiac arrest. This is a reminder that everyone in the community should know the basics of CPR. You don’t have to do mouth to mouth but you do have to do chest compressions – hard and fast – till the ambo’s get there. Forget about feeling for a pulse. If they are unresponsive and not breathing normally, start chest compressions. You won’t do any harm and you may save a life.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILxjxfB4zNk
So Matt Prior is the new expert for SkySports during the SriLanka ODI series…!!!! Plus of course no Hales in team … way to go ECB * Cookie
Typical Sky. Hire the commentator with the least degree of detachment from the players he’s paid to analyse.
Sri Lanka 317/6 from 50 overs. England bowled only 17 wides. So nothing to see here please move along.
Big chase needed now from the batsman. This is exactly the type of score England need to be learning how to chase, so maybe the bowlers did England a favour in the long run. 230 laptop score is not enough today.
That was me by the way.
Is it true that no matter who wins that Peter Moores will be reading the riot act at TeamECB because they scored more than 230???
Just think if any of the ECB favourites – Cook, Root or Morgan – had scored decently this match would not have been so difficult for TeamECB
News: Phillip Hughes has passed away.
Phil Hughes passing – What a tragedy and loss to Cricket. My heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, team mates and Aussie cricket supporters.
:(
What a tragedy, such a massive loss to the cricketing community.
I, like millions around the world, play cricket every weekend because we love the game. We take it for granted as well, but that’s ok because we love cricket, like what its about and how it brings people together.
We share that emotion and passion with Phil Hughes – however the difference being is that he was playing, not only for his love of the game, but to force his way into the Australian Test team. Who gets to do that? He was at the top of his profession, fighting his way back, knowing a big score would see him replace the injured Michael Clarke – 63 not out, looking good in front of the selectors, then it only took one ball and it was all over.
I would love to be fighting hard to play cricket for Australia, wear the Baggy Green and do my family proud – he was so lucky he got to do that, he scored twin centuries against South Africa in only his second test match, the youngest to ever do so (he was 20), he scored a double hundred in a ODI, he scored a hundred in his debut ODI – who does that? What a career he had, and tragically, what a career he will never have.
Whilst a sad occasion for the cricketing world, this will not change me and my passion for the game, simply because I just love cricket.
RIP Phil Hughes.
R.I.P Philip Hughes. My deepest condolences and best wishes to his family. Bless them all. Let us also remember Sean Abbott and his family. He must feel awful for what was a freak incident. A very sad day for cricket.