New Delhi: Australian batsman Phillip Hughes passed away after being hit by a bouncer while playing a domestic first-class match. Hughes was in a critical condition a hospital in Sydney, almost two days after being knocked out by a cricket ball and he also underwent an emergency surgery.
Australian team doctor Peter Brukner informed media that batsman Phillip Hughes has died in hospital, two days after being struck in the head by a cricket ball during a domestic first-class match.
Brukner issued a statement saying "It is my sad duty to inform you that a short time ago Phillip Hughes passed away. He never regained consciousness following his injury on Tuesday."
Brukner said Hughes, 25, was not in pain and was surrounded by his family and close friends.
Hughes, a New South Welshman who played for South Australia, collapsed after being hit behind the left ear by a short-pitch ball from Sean Abbott at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Hughes has played 26 test matches for Australia since his debut in 2009 but hasn't been able to earn a regular spot in the starting lineup. He was batting for a spot in the extended squad when he mis-timed a shot and was felled by the ball.
Organizers cancelled a scheduled news conference Thursday with the captain of a Cricket Australia invitational XI due to play India in a two-day tour match in Adelaide starting Friday.
The emotional impact on the players has led to speculation that next week's first test against India could be delayed.
The four-test series against India is due to start next Thursday in Brisbane.
Former Australia captain and selector Allan Border said the first test should go ahead, but selections should be based on the personal choice of players.
Images of Hughes collapsing face first at the SCG were broadcast almost instantly across Australia, and messages of support have flowed in from around the world. Satellite TV trucks and dozens of news crews have reported regular updates on Hughes' condition from outside the hospital.
The injury sparked debate about short-pitch bowling in the game, the level of protection offered by helmets that first came into common use at the test level in the late 1970s, and the seemingly slow reaction time of the ambulance service as Hughes was treated on the field.
Bouncers, where a fast bowler aims to push the batsman back toward the stumps with a ball that lands halfway down the pitch and rears up above chest or head height, are still a regular and acceptable part of the game.
The International Cricket Council revised its laws on short-pitch bowling in the early 1990s, putting restrictions on the number of short-pitch balls allowed per over to stamp out bowlers merely using the delivery to intimidate batsmen.
