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28 March 2024

Australia batsman 'Hughesy' remains 'critical' after surgery

Phillip Hughes of South Australia is helped by New South Wales players after falling to the ground after being struck in the head by a delivery during day one of the Sheffield Shield match between New South Wales and South Australia at Sydney Cricket Ground on November 25, 2014 in Sydney, Australia. (Getty)

Published
By Agencies

Australian batsman Phillip Hughes remained in a critical condition Wednesday after surgery to relieve pressure on his brain, as players rallied around the bowler who inflicted the damage.

"Philip's condition is unchanged and he remains critical," Australian team doctor Peter Brukner said in a brief statement on Wednesday afternoon.

The popular Hughes was wearing a helmet during the Sheffield Shield game when he was struck but manufacturer Masuri said he did not have their most up-to-date model.

"From the footage and pictures currently available to Masuri, it appears that Phil Hughes was struck by the ball to the rear of the grille and below the back of the shell, missing his Masuri Original Test model helmet," the company said.

"This is a vulnerable area of the head and neck that helmets cannot fully protect, while enabling batsmen to have full and proper movement."

Cricket New South Wales chief executive Andrew Jones said it was an extremely rare accident.

"It's the cricketing equivalent of getting hit by a bus," he told Sky Sports radio.

"It's a freak accident. There have been a million bouncers bowled before and there will be a million bouncers bowled after."

Hughes was attempting a pull shot when he was hit while batting for South Australia against New South Wales.

Medical staff worked on him, including mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and oxygen, for more than 30 minutes before he was taken from the field and rushed to hospital on life-support.

While it remains unclear how badly he may be hurt, advocacy group Brain Injury Australia said generally that recovery was a long process, although no two injuries were the same.

"Recovery from brain injury is a marathon, not a sprint," said spokesman Nick Rushworth, who had his own brush with death in 1996 in a cycling accident.

Up-and-coming bowler Abbott, who made his one-day and Twenty20 debut for Australia in October and is just 22, was seen cradling the injured player immediately after the incident.

"It says a lot about Sean doesn't it," Cricket Australia chief James Sutherland said. "Sean will have all the support he needs around him."

Cricketers from around the world have rallied behind not just Hughes but also Abbott.

"Stay strong @seanabbott77. Not your fault young man," tweeted former Australian great Dean Jones, while former bowler Damien Fleming said: "Feeling for Sean Abbott who was just bowling a cricket ball."

Cricket Australia abandoned all current domestic Sheffield Shield matches in the wake of Hughes's injury, with official Pat Howard saying "it's just not the day to be playing cricket".

Scans

Australian batsman Phillip Hughes was to have more scans Wednesday after surgery to relieve pressure on his brain as players rallied around the bowler who inflicted the damage.

The 25-year-old, who was pressing for a Test recall, was knocked out by a Sean Abbott bouncer in a freak incident at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Tuesday, crumbling to the ground unconscious after the heavy blow to the lower head.

He underwent surgery and was in an induced coma in intensive care at St Vincent's Hospital.

"Phillip Hughes remains in a critical condition in St Vincent's Hospital after being struck in the head while batting for South Australia against NSW at the SCG yesterday," Cricket Australia said in a statement.

"He will have scans this morning and a further update will be provided when the results of those scans are known."

Support

Top cricketers from around the world united in their support for Phil Hughes on Tuesday after a ball to the head left the Australian batsman in critical condition in hospital.

Australia coach Darren Lehmann was among the first to tweet his support as social media was inundated with messages, many tagged #ThoughtsWithHughesy.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with phil and his family! He is a great fighter and a great young man!" Lehmann wrote.

Australia captain Michael Clarke reportedly rushed to Hughes' side at hospital while Test team-mate David Warner was with him during his initial treatment on the field.

"Thoughts are with my little mate Hughsy and his family. He is a fighter and a champion and he will get through this. Praying for you buddy," Warner tweeted later.

Cricket stars from abroad also sent their best wishes including Ian Botham and his fellow former England captain Michael Vaughn, who called it "devastating news".

Virat Kohli, who will captain India in the Test series against Australia starting next month, wrote: "Thoughts and prayers with Phil Hughes all the way.

"Fight it out mate. You are a top man. All the strength goes out to you and your family."

Sri Lanka's Mahela Jayawardene and retired Indian batsman VVS Laxman also sent messages for Hughes, along with several current players of England, Australia's arch-rivals.

"Awful news about Phil Hughes. Sickening to hear. Praying for him and his family," wrote England fast bowler James Anderson.

The batsman suffered a severe head injury when he was struck by a ball during a domestic match at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Tuesday.

Cricket Australia (CA) have called off the current round of Sheffield Shield matches out of respect for Hughes, while news of the accident stunned the global cricket community and prompted a huge wave of sympathy for the 26-test player.

"We’ve spoken to players and the ACA, and given how players across the country are feeling right now, it’s just not the day to be playing cricket and we understand that," CA official Pat Howard said in a statement on Wednesday.

"We are continuing to offer all players and match officials counselling and support at this difficult time," added Howard, who is CA's Executive General Manager of Team Performance.

"Phillip Hughes continues to receive the best possible medical care. The thoughts of his team mates and the wider cricket community are with Phillip and his family and friends at this difficult time."

Batting for South Australia in a Sheffield Shield match on Tuesday, Hughes was hit by a short-pitched delivery from fast bowler Sean Abbott.

Freak incident

Australian batsman Phil Hughes was fighting for his life following emergency surgery Tuesday after he was knocked out by a bouncer in a freak incident which shocked cricket.

The 25-year-old, who is pressing for a Test recall, crashed to the ground unconscious after the heavy blow to the lower head and was rushed to hospital from the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Television images showed the helmeted Hughes, who had scored a composed 63 for South Australia in the Sheffield Shield game, standing dazed before going down face-first following the rising delivery from New South Wales bowler Sean Abbott.

New South Wales players, including Test colleagues David Warner and Brad Haddin, quickly rushed to his side and immediately called for help.

"They've finished the surgeries but he's still in a critical condition," said David Faktor, a spokesman for St Vincent's Hospital, where Hughes was taken. "Now they'll just monitor him."

Reports said he was in an induced coma in the intensive care unit and being treated to relieve pressure on his brain from bleeding.

Tim Nielsen from South Australia Cricket read out a statement from the Hughes family outside the hospital.

"The outcome of the surgery is unlikely to be known for the next 24-48 hours," he said. "We would appreciate it if you would look after the family and friends and respect their privacy please."

Cricket Australia said in a live match blog on its website that Hughes had "been leaving the short balls, had a go at this one, misjudged it and was hit in the head. He blacked out and fell badly". The match was abandoned.

Medical staff worked on Hughes, including mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and oxygen, for more than 30 minutes before he was taken from the field.

The accident, with Hughes' mother and sister in the stands watching, sparked an outpouring of support for a player who is well-liked and respected in cricketing circles.

"We're all in shock," Cricket Australia boss James Sutherland told reporters in Melbourne, his voice trembling.

"All we know is that it's serious and he's fortunate to be in the best possible place right now with experts all around him."

National coach Darren Lehmann tweeted: "Our thoughts and prayers are with phil and his family. He is a great fighter and great young man."

Hughes made his Test debut in South Africa in 2009, where he made 75 in the second innings at Johannesburg. The left-hander followed up in the second Test at Durban with centuries in both innings, amassing some 275 runs at the crease.

The runs dried up and despite playing 26 Tests he has never secured a regular place in the team, partly due to his perceived weakness against the short ball.

But with doubts over the fitness of captain Michael Clarke for the first Test against India next month in Brisbane, he was seen as a potential replacement.

Clarke, a close friend, was one of those who reportedly rushed to the hospital to be at Hughes' side.

In a statement the Indian team said: "We join with the rest of the cricket community around the world to offer our support and prayers to Phil and his family as well as our friends within Australian cricket".

Australian legends Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Adam Gilchrist also sent their best wishes, as did Ian Botham, his fellow former England captain Michael Vaughan, and South Africa's AB de Villiers.

Genteel


Though often viewed as a genteel game, cricket's fastest bowlers regularly deliver the ball at speeds of over 140kph (87mph) and batsmen defend themselves with a wooden bat less than a metre long and about four inches wide.

A cricket ball is roughly the same shape and size as a baseball but heavier and harder.
While batsmen are heavily padded, they often sustain painful and perfectly legal blows from fast bowlers, who have full license to launch deliveries that bounce up at head height.

Balls occasionally strike batsmen on the helmet, sometimes drawing blood on impact, but the seriousness of Hughes's injury shocked seasoned cricket writers and players alike.

"Thoughts are with Phil Hughes. Terrible to see and just shows how dangerous our game can be," Australia legspinner James Muirhead tweeted.

Australia captain Clarke arrived to check on Hughes at the hospital, where the stricken batsman's mother and sister were also present.

News of the injury sparked a wave of sympathy from the global cricketing community and fans on social media.

The England and Wales Cricket board tweeted: "Thoughts with Phil Hughes and his family from all at ECB. Get well soon."

A popular team player born in a small town in northern New South Wales state, the pint-sized Hughes played 26 tests and 25 one-day internationals for Australia, but never quite cemented his place in the national set-up.

Hughes has long struggled to shake off perceptions of vulnerability against short-pitched bowling, but with Clarke injured, he was backed to regain a spot in the test team for the first match in Brisbane against India starting Dec. 4.   

Dangers

To cricket outsiders, the "Gentleman's Game" often conjures the image of a slow-paced summer pastime, where players barely break sweat during matches that drag on for days.

The sickening head injury that left Australia batsman Phillip Hughes in critical condition on Tuesday, however, was a brutal reminder of the sport's ferocity.

Modern-day cricketers wear helmets and an array of protective equipment but the risks are real when players face up to balls that are roughly the same size as a baseball but harder and heavier, often travelling at speeds of over 140kph (87mph).

The extent of Hughes's injury may not be known for days, but there is a long list of cricketers who have suffered horrific injuries that have been career ending and sometimes fatal.

In the infamous Bodyline Series in 1932-33, the Australian wicketkeeper Bert Oldfield had his skull fractured when he was hit by a ball from English fast bowler Harold Larwood.

In the 1960s, Indian captain Nari Contractor was hit in the head by a ball from West Indian paceman Charlie Griffith.

Contractor was unconscious for six days and needed a blood transfusion to survive but never played international cricket again.

Bob Willis fractured Rick McCosker's jaw in the 1977 Centenary Test and in 1986 Mike Gatting's nose was smashed by Malcolm Marshall.

In 1975, New Zealander Ewen Chatfield swallowed his tongue and stopped breathing after being hit on the temple by English fast bowler Peter Lever during a test match.

His life was saved by English physio Bernard Thomas, who sprinted onto the field and administered CPR.

Staying true to the cricketers' gentlemanly code, Chatfield later said of Lever: "It wasn't really his fault. I should have been able to get out of the way.

"He's a very nice fellow."

Just two years ago, South African wicketkeeper Mark Boucher lost the lens, iris and pupil in his left eye after a being hit by a bail that flew back off the top of the wicket.

"Having looked at it on YouTube, I don't like to look at it too much because it freaks me out a bit," he told cricket website Cricinfo (www.espncricinfo.com). "The bail hit me in the eye and went two centimetres back."

Other players, however, have not been so lucky.

India's Raman Lamba died in 1998 after being struck in the temple by a cricket ball hit by a Bangladesh batsman. He was 38.

Pakistan's Abdul Aziz was struck on the chest by a ball, collapsed and never regained consciousness. He died on the way to the hospital, aged 17.

Cricket authorities have sought to minimise injuries by making protective equipment mandatory for some age groups and batsmen now take to the crease wearing leg guards, elbow pads, gloves and helmets.

Despite the improvements in protective wear, however, the risks to batsmen remain. Hughes was wearing a helmet on Tuesday but was still badly hurt.

Messages

The international cricket community has posted messages of support for South Australian cricketer Phil Hughes who has undergone surgery after being hit in the head by a bouncer at the SCG.

He is an induced coma after undergoing surgery, according to reports.

Australian and international cricketers, including India's stand-in captain Virat Kohli who will be leading team out in the first Test against Australia next month, sent messages of support to Hughes via social media.

"Thoughts are with my little mate Hughsy and his family. He is a fighter and a champion and he will get through this. Praying for you buddy." David Warner (@davidwarner31)

"Thinking of you mate! Hope everything is ok with u Hughesy" Mitchell Johnson (@MitchJohnson398)

"My thoughts are with hughesy and his family. He has always been a fighter and I'm sure he will fight his way through this tough time." Steve Smith (@stevesmith49)

"Sad to hear about my little mate Hughsey. Thoughts go out to him and his family. Stay strong brother! X" Peter Siddle (#petersiddle403)

"Thoughts and prayers with Phil Hughes all the way. Fight it out mate. You are a top man. All the strength goes out to you and your family." Virat Kohli (@imviratkohli)

"Awful news about Phil Hughes. Fight hard, everyone's thoughts are with you and your family." Stuart Broad (@StuartBroad8)

"Just finish practices... Heard d news about Phil Hughes and shocked! Hope he recovers quickly. Good luck mate!" Mahela Jayawardena (@MahelaJay)

Bouncer

Australia cricketer Phil Hughes is in critical condition after being felled by a bouncer in a Sheffield shield match on Tuesday.

The South Australia left-hander, 25, who has played 26 Tests, collapsed face first after being struck on the helmet by a delivery from New South Wales bowler Sean Abbott.

Hughes was carried off on a stretcher and an ambulance took him to hospital where he has undergone surgery, BBC reported.

South Australian Cricket's manager Tim Nielsen said "the outcome is unlikely to be known for 24-48 hours".

Hughes, who shared in a then world record 10th-wicket partnership of 163 with Ashton Agar against England in 2013, played for the one-day side against Pakistan in the UAE.

Pakistan batsman Ahmed Shehzad suffered a minor skull fracture after being hit by a bouncer during the first Test against New Zealand in Abu Dhabi and missed the rest of the Test series.

However, Shehzad has been ruled fit to play in the upcoming one-day series against the Black Caps.

Hughes was in line for a possible Test recall following reports that Australian captain Michael Clarke might be ruled out of the first match against India on December 4.

After being hit by the ball, Hughes put his hands on his knees before falling face first on to the pitch.

He was immediately surrounded by opposition players and umpires, who called for help.

A helicopter arrived but Hughes was taken to Sydney's St Vincent's Hospital by ambulance and a doctor who treated the player at the scene accompanied him, Australian media reported.

The Sheffield Shield match was abandoned.

Cricket Australia chief executive officer James Sutherland said: "Our thoughts and prayers are with Phil Hughes. We are also thinking of his family, team-mates and friends in the Australian cricket family.

"His welfare is our highest priority. We're also naturally concerned about all of those involved in today's game and will be giving them our utmost support."

Australia coach Darren Lehmann wrote on Twitter: "Our thou