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Mess Deck: General Section => Chit-Chat => Topic started by: Peter Fitness on November 27, 2014, 06:57:54 am

Title: Aussie Cricket Tragedy
Post by: Peter Fitness on November 27, 2014, 06:57:54 am
Australian cricket and sport lovers generally, are in shock after young batsman, Phillip Hughes, died a short while ago, just short of his 26th birthday. He was hit on the head by a short ball from NSW fast bowler Sean Abbott, in a Sheffield Shield match between NSW and South Australia on Tuesday. He collapsed and was treated by medical staff at the Sydney Cricket Ground, before being taken by ambulance to Sydney's St Vincent's Hospital in a coma, from which he never recovered. It has sent shock waves through the cricket community all around the country, and Cricket Australia immediately abandoned all 3 Shield matches being played.


Phil Hughes was tipped to play in the first test against India, starting on December 4, as a replacement for injured captain, Michael Clarke. He had  been in marvellous form recently, scoring runs freely, and looked set to resume his interrupted test career. He became the youngest batsman ever to score a century in each innings of a test when he was just 20, but lost form for a while and was dropped from the Aussie team.


I feel sorry for Sean Abbott, who is only 22, and one of Australia's rising stars in the bowling department. He has been offered counselling, and players are rallying around him as he tries to come to terms with the accident. I can only try to imagine how he feels. No bowler tries to maim an opponent and, while the bouncer is a legitimate delivery, players have frequently been hit, but never as devastatingly as on this occasion. Hughes appeared to turn his head away, and was struck at the base of his skull, causing bleeding to the brain, and doctors were unable to revive him.


Phil's death will have a massive impact on cricket here, as players try to deal with his loss. The shock and grief on the faces of players who went to the hospital was plain to see. He was a fine young man, extremely well liked by his team mates, and all who knew him. He will be greatly missed by all followers of cricket both here and overseas.


Peter.



Title: Re: Aussie Cricket Tragedy
Post by: Footski on November 27, 2014, 07:38:49 am
Thank you Peter.


I am not ashamed to say I spilled some tears at this terrible news. The death of Phil Hughes has hit the whole cricketing world very hard, including cricket fans everywhere. My thoughts are with his family and colleagues. As for Sean Abbott, he will need plenty of support and time to get over this.

Title: Re: Aussie Cricket Tragedy
Post by: U-33 on November 27, 2014, 08:39:25 am
That is awful news...I was going to ask how the ball managed to strike him like it did, but I've just heard on the news that he turned his head and the ball struck him on the back of the neck...that must be a million to one chance of happening.


My sincere condolences to his family, and to the guy who bowled the fatal ball...he must be really struggling to come to terms with what's happened.


I'm not a cricket fan, but the shock of such a thing happening will reverberate throughout the whole world of sport.


Phillip Hughes...RIP, sir.




Rich
Title: Re: Aussie Cricket Tragedy
Post by: Brian60 on November 27, 2014, 10:34:16 am
As Rich says, a one in a million accident. This could have happened to him at any other time and such a tragic outcome may never have happened.
 A sad loss to the cricketing world, my condolences go out to his family.
Title: Re: Aussie Cricket Tragedy
Post by: mikearace on November 27, 2014, 10:37:26 am
It is a terrible tragedy for anyone to die or suffer life changing injury due to taking part in sport particularly at such a young age and his family must be distraught.  In addition how the bowler will recover I just don't know how he will be able to erase the memory every time he picks up a ball.  However perhaps this event might bring some sense to cricket and in particular the art of sledging.  Maybe in future fielders of every side at every level will think twice when calling out to bowlers to break arms, aim for the head, bounce the bstrd, goading batsmen that they are going to be hurt etc.  This may not be the case here but it generally now seems to be the norm and it hasto stop, as freak as this accident was.
Title: Re: Aussie Cricket Tragedy
Post by: Nordsee on November 27, 2014, 11:37:21 am
I agree with everything that is said here, especially about the  Bowler, what a terrible shock to him.
 Maybe it is time to ban the Bouncer? After all it is not aimed at the Stumps, but the batsmans Body/ head.Could Outlaw them. Any ball over chest high is a No Ball. Could be done, after all, how many injuries does one not hear of? I know my grandson was off work for a week after being hit in the face by a ball, not bowled but being thrown in to the wicket keeper. This must be seen as a time to Change the rules, before another life is ruined or lost. RIP.
Title: Re: Aussie Cricket Tragedy
Post by: Netleyned on November 27, 2014, 03:47:03 pm
Someone who aims a missile aka cricket ball at the batsman
with the intent of disabling the batsman is guilty of actual bodily harm
I thought those bits of wood were supposed to be the target.

RIP young Sir.
You died playing a game you loved.

Ned
Title: Re: Aussie Cricket Tragedy
Post by: Brian60 on November 27, 2014, 04:32:45 pm
I agree with everything that is said here, especially about the  Bowler, what a terrible shock to him.
 Maybe it is time to ban the Bouncer? After all it is not aimed at the Stumps, but the batsmans Body/ head.Could Outlaw them. Any ball over chest high is a No Ball. Could be done, after all, how many injuries does one not hear of? I know my grandson was off work for a week after being hit in the face by a ball, not bowled but being thrown in to the wicket keeper. This must be seen as a time to Change the rules, before another life is ruined or lost. RIP.

Children under the age of 16 are banned from playing cricket unless protective headgear is worn. I understand that your grandson was at work, hence over 16, but shouldn' t this requirement carry over to club games?

Someone who aims a missile aka cricket ball at the batsman
with the intent of disabling the batsman is guilty of actual bodily harm
I thought those bits of wood were supposed to be the target.

RIP young Sir.
You died playing a game you loved.

Ned

Ned you mistake what a bouncer is, that is a 'high ball delivered to a batsman in such a manner as to tempt him to play a hook shot' the inference being that a mishit would likely be caught out by a nearby fielder. The problem has come since the famous west indies tour of the late 70's when bowlers began achieving ball speeds in excess of 90mph. Only the best batsmen in the world have a chance of hitting a bouncer delivered at that speed. During that tour it became not a ball delivered with a chance to catch the batsman out, but a ball that was used to intimidate a batsman into not playing entirely.

Yes you could hark back to the bodyline tour, but that was a different ball delivery entirely, not aimed at the head of the batsman, but his ribcage.
Title: Re: Aussie Cricket Tragedy
Post by: Neil on November 27, 2014, 06:50:43 pm
I am just saddened and shocked, and hope that the sport isn't sanitised by one very sad and unlucky tragic accident......

I don't think any player , least, of all Phil Hughes would want that.

It can be an exciting and exhilarating game when played on the edge, and long may it be so.

RIP Phil Hughes, and god bless you and your family, and the Cricketing family as a whole
Title: Re: Aussie Cricket Tragedy
Post by: U-33 on November 27, 2014, 07:40:15 pm
I have to ask this...why is cricket played with such a hard ball? Why can't it be played with a soft ball, similar to a tennis ball? If that hits you at speed it would still hurt, but surely it wouldn't be so dangerous?


Rich
Title: Re: Aussie Cricket Tragedy
Post by: Brian60 on November 27, 2014, 09:05:15 pm
I have to ask this...why is cricket played with such a hard ball? Why can't it be played with a soft ball, similar to a tennis ball? If that hits you at speed it would still hurt, but surely it wouldn't be so dangerous?


Rich

If you look at where a batsman can hit a hard ball ie out of the stadium. Then something like a tennis ball would end up in the next county! I think that is the reason why it is so hard, the inertia involved in the dynamics of a soft ball compared to a hard one, whether bowling or batting, make a soft ball a non starter. Even in a school game of rounders its a hard ball.
Title: Re: Aussie Cricket Tragedy
Post by: U-33 on November 27, 2014, 09:20:54 pm
Ok Brian...understood. Many thanks for the explanation..


Rich
Title: Re: Aussie Cricket Tragedy
Post by: Peter Fitness on November 27, 2014, 10:02:01 pm
Someone who aims a missile aka cricket ball at the batsman
with the intent of disabling the batsman is guilty of actual bodily harm
I thought those bits of wood were supposed to be the target.


Ned, perhaps you don't understand cricket. The bowler does not always try to hit the stumps, many balls are bowled that attempt to entice the batsman to hit them in such a way as to offer a catch to a strategically placed fieldsman. This includes bowling outside the line of the stumps. As Brian56 pointed out, a bouncer is an attempt to have the batsman play the hook shot which, if not properly executed, can result in a catch, often out near the boundary. I am sure no bowler ever intends to injure a batsman, intimidate...yes, but not injure.


There will be inquiries into the design of helmets, but no current helmet would protect a batsman from a hit such as Phillip Hughes suffered. He turned his head at the last instant and was struck below the helmet, a freak occurrence. Those who follow cricket will remember when no helmets were worn, not all that many years ago, and batsmen were facing bowlers like Trueman, Lindwall, Lillee and Thompson. Batsmen were hit, but no lasting injury was ever suffered, at least in top level cricket. The first batsman to wear a helmet in a test match was Australian, Graham Yallop in a test against the West Indies at Bridgetown, Barbados, in 1978. Phillip Hughes' death was a tragedy which has affected sportspeople all round the world, but it was an accident.

I notice on this morning's news that a test between New Zealand and Pakistan, being played in Sharjah, UAE, was suspended for a day, out of respect for Hughes. There is also debate in the local press as to whether the scheduled first test between Australia and India, starting in Brisbane on Thursday 4th December, will go ahead. I suspect that it will go ahead, maybe as a tribute to Hughes, but I believe that most of the players, from both teams, will have heavy hearts.

Peter.
Title: Re: Aussie Cricket Tragedy
Post by: Colin Bishop on November 27, 2014, 10:48:19 pm
Quote
I am sure no bowler ever intends to injure a batsman, intimidate...yes, but not injure.

But what is intimidate if not a threat to injure Peter?

I am not especially a fan of cricket but was always under the assumption that it was a 'noble' game. Yet in recent years the way that sledging has become commonplace and accepted to my mind reflects very poorly on this ideal and suggests that the intent can indeed be to injure batsmen or at least place them under threat of serious injury. Obviously no one would have wanted to see a tragedy such as this but if you go to the brink then something like this will inevitably happen. It is not a dissimilar situation to that in football when  a dangerous tackle can cripple a player for life. At that point one does question whether it can really be considered as 'sport'.

Colin

Title: Re: Aussie Cricket Tragedy
Post by: Peter Fitness on November 28, 2014, 05:43:56 am
Fast bowling has always had the potential to injure someone, so I suppose the fact that a bowler bowls at high speed could be construed as "intent" to do just that. However, I still maintain that no bowler, at international level at least, deliberately sets out to injure a batsman. We can go back to the bodyline series, and argue that Douglas Jardine's men set out to cause injury to Australian batsmen. I have no idea whether that was the intention or not, but they definitely tried to intimidate, as have fast bowlers ever since. I agree that the potential for serious injury exists, and steps were taken to help protect batsmen with the use of padding and helmets, as well as limiting the number of short deliveries in an over.


Regarding football - again, not many professional players deliberately try to injure an opponent, although I'm sure there have been instances where this has occurred. Many bad tackles are made in the heat of battle, so to speak, without prior intent to cause injury. Usually they are mistimed, but many players have been injured, some seriously, by such tackles, whether they were intentional or not.


In my opinion, sport, in its purest form, ceased to exist when money, usually large amounts, became involved. The concept of cricket as a "noble" game died when the players became professional. In the transitional period, I believe that there were even separate rooms at Lord's for "gentlemen" and "players".


It will be interesting to see the reaction of cricket authorities to Phillip Hughes' death, once the initial grief and shock wears off.


Peter.
Title: Re: Aussie Cricket Tragedy
Post by: Brian60 on November 28, 2014, 07:57:03 am

 I believe that there were even separate rooms at Lord's for "gentlemen" and "players".

Peter.

This actually still exists in motorsport would you believe!

In the world endurance series, specifically seen at Le Mans, the field is split into several classes, LMP1 LMP2 (sports prototypes like an F1 car with bodywork) and the GTEpro and GTEam classes, these are very souped up exotic sports cars like ferrari and aston martins etc. These last two classses have what they call 'Gentleman drivers' ie the car has two professionals plus the gentleman.

Basically a guy with more money than sense who has input into the team (money) can drive relatively fast and has proved himself capable of not causing an accident.

This went horribly wrong in 2012 with Anthony Davidson (sky F1 commentator and ex F1 driver) he was overtaking one of the slower cars at close to 200mph in his Toyota, the gentleman driver turned into the corner too early and hit him. Even though he suffered a serious back injury, Davidson declared himself lucky to be alive!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCBXFk4Ffmw
Title: Re: Aussie Cricket Tragedy
Post by: Colin Bishop on November 28, 2014, 10:17:42 am
I guess you are right about the influence of money to some extent Peter, it does encourage a 'win at all costs' approach and that is when accidents happen.

However it doesn't have to be that way, both tennis and golf are intensively skilful and competitive sports but the participants seem to manage without abusing their opponents or putting them in physical danger.

Colin
Title: Re: Aussie Cricket Tragedy
Post by: Peter Fitness on November 28, 2014, 09:37:19 pm
Good point, Colin, however, both tennis and golf are individual sports, whereas cricket and football are team sports. Maybe the so-called "pack mentality" comes into play?


All else aside, it was very moving last night to see the crowd at the A-League football match between Adelaide United and Melbourne Victory, at the 63 minute mark, stand as one and applaud for several minutes. It was a tribute to Phil Hughes who was on 63 not out at the time he was struck.


It was revealed that the bleed to Hughes' brain was caused by the impact of the ball severing an artery in his skull. Apparently this type of injury is extremely rare, to the point where there have only been about 100 recorded instances. The chances of surviving such an injury are slim to none.


Peter.
Title: Re: Aussie Cricket Tragedy
Post by: cbr900 on November 28, 2014, 10:35:25 pm
Regarding this tragic accident.  There was no intent it was a freak accident! Please concentrate on the fact that Phil Hughes has died, and Sean Abbott has to live with the fact that he bowled the ball...................


RIP P Hughes
Title: Re: Aussie Cricket Tragedy
Post by: Neil on November 28, 2014, 10:48:16 pm
Regarding this tragic accident.  There was no intent it was a freak accident! Please consentrate on the fact that Phil Hughes has died, and Sean Abbott has to live with the fact that he bowled the ball...................


RIP P Hughes

well said..................My heart goes out to all concerned...................a very sad tragedy indeed.
Title: Re: Aussie Cricket Tragedy
Post by: Peter Fitness on November 29, 2014, 10:04:48 pm
The impact that Phil Hughes' death has had on sport, and people in general, not only in Australia but world wide, is absolutely astounding. The Queen has sent a personal message of condolence to the Hughes family; Sir Elton John dedicated one of his songs to Phil at a concert in Germany; silence was observed at Twickenham prior to the England v Australia Rugby test, and many other signs of respect and sympathy have appeared in various parts of the world. I have never seen anything like it.


It has been announced that his funeral will be held on Wednesday 3rd December in his home town of Macksville, on the mid north coast of NSW, only about 260 km from where I live. As the local church is far too small to cater for the number of people expected to attend, the service will be held in the sports hall of Macksville High School, where Hughes had his secondary education. Big screens are to be set up on the sports fields so those who can't get into the church can follow the service. The Nine Network are covering the service live on TV, and several radio networks will be broadcasting also. Qantas has scheduled 2 extra Boeing 737 flights to nearby Coffs Harbour, with the fares being on a cost recovery basis only. The first test between Australia and India in Brisbane has been postponed, with the full co-operation of the Board of Cricket Control India. No date has been set for it to be played and, given the tight schedule of cricket, it may even be abandoned.


Phil Hughes' tragic death has touched everyone in Australia, and indeed, many around the world.


Peter.
Title: Re: Aussie Cricket Tragedy
Post by: pugwash on November 30, 2014, 10:39:57 pm
Since Phil Hughes tragic death there has been another freak death on a cricket pitch when an
Israeli umpire was struck in the neck from a fast ball which had first hit the stump them flew off at
a strange angle,  and I believe a youngster was killed by being hit by a ball that had been thrown into
the centre in an attempt to stop the batsman scoring a run.
I know these are all unusual and tragic but does that mean we should ban cricket.
Geoff
PS How many golfers or spectators have been killed by a golf ball hitting them (usually in the temple area)
Title: Re: Aussie Cricket Tragedy
Post by: Peter Fitness on December 01, 2014, 04:57:00 am
Cricket will not, nor should it, be banned because of these accidents, as tragic and heart rending as they may be. The Hughes family asked that the test between Australia and India go on as scheduled, but Cricket Australia has decided to postpone it. CA said that there would be no way players would be in a fit state of mind to play, given that Phil Hughes' funeral is on the day before the test was due to start. The last day of the second test between Pakistan and New Zealand in the UAE was a very restrained affair, both teams having decided not to bowl any short balls, and not to celebrate dismissals, an indication of what the players of those two teams were feeling.


Peter.
Title: Re: Aussie Cricket Tragedy
Post by: Footski on December 01, 2014, 08:25:19 am
Cricket needs to mourn. It will take some time for things to return to normal....
Title: Re: Aussie Cricket Tragedy
Post by: Peter Fitness on December 01, 2014, 08:58:44 pm
Very true Barry.


Peter.
Title: Re: Aussie Cricket Tragedy
Post by: Peter Fitness on December 03, 2014, 10:10:47 pm
Phillip Hughes' funeral was held yesterday in his home town of Macksville. All funerals are sad, but that of a young person, in the prime of life, is especially so. It was broadcast live on TV from the sports hall of the Macksville High School, the only building in Macksville big enough to hold some of the crowd of mourners. It was broadcast on big screens at the Sydney Cricket Ground, where Hughes was struck, Adelaide Oval, the Gabba in Brisbane, and the WACA ground in Perth, and each ground had large numbers of people in attendance. As was to be expected, just about all current Australian national team players were in Macksville, plus many from the state sides. Many past players came from around the world to attend, as well as members of the touring Indian team. The effect on the current players was plain to see, and I don't know how they are going to prepare themselves for upcoming matches. The Australian Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition put aside their political differences to attend.


Eulogies were given by members of the Hughes family, as well as some close friends, and Aussie captain, Michael Clarke gave a speech on behalf of the team. He was a close mate of Phil, and the distress it caused him was very obvious - I don't know how he managed to carry on.


Cricket has lost a fine player, and a great young man, a country boy whose interest outside of cricket centred on his Angus cattle. He will be sadly missed by his family and many friends, and cricket world wide.


Peter.


http://links.cricketaustralia.mkt4158.com/servlet/MailView?ms=MTAwNzI3NTIS1&r=MTUxMzU4MzgyMTMyS0&j=NDQwMjI3NDk3S0&mt=1&rt=0 (http://links.cricketaustralia.mkt4158.com/servlet/MailView?ms=MTAwNzI3NTIS1&r=MTUxMzU4MzgyMTMyS0&j=NDQwMjI3NDk3S0&mt=1&rt=0)
Title: Re: Aussie Cricket Tragedy
Post by: Footski on December 04, 2014, 07:14:25 am
A very very sad day indeed. I am not sure if Michael Clarke will ever be quite the same player again. I do hope so.... <:(
Title: Re: Aussie Cricket Tragedy
Post by: html on December 04, 2014, 05:06:16 pm
A very sad day indeed, what a tragic loss. England and Australia are fierce rivals in the game of cricket but I shed a tear when I heard about his death, so young very tragic. My heart goes out to his friend and family, he was too young to leave this world.
I watched a recording of Michael Clarkes speech total respect for the man that is something I could not have done, the grief was etched into his face but he kept going in respect at the loss of his friend.
The world of cricket has lost a great player, with huge potential. I feel sorry for Sean Abbott, I hope he does not give up the sport it was after all a freak accident

R I P Phillip Hughes 63 not out!


Brian
Title: Re: Aussie Cricket Tragedy
Post by: Colin Bishop on December 04, 2014, 07:37:20 pm
I have just been reading a very interesting article in the Times about this.

I suspect that, like many people in the UK, it has been a little difficult to understand the national outpouring of grief in Australia about this tragic event. The nearest thing for comparison appears to be when Princess Diana died.

On the face of it to someone like myself who is not particularly into sport or cricket, the whole thing has seemed to be a bit over the top. After all, two other cricketers have recently been killed in accidents, one in Israel, but these seem to have just been news footnotes.

Obviously the death of Phillip Hughes has touched a chord in the Australian national psyche which is difficult for uninvolved people like me to fully understand given all the other mayhem that is taking place in the world today but Matthew Syed's article did make an effort to explain the particular importance that cricket has in Australia, even to the extent that the national cricket captain is regarded as only second in importance to the prime minister.

To me it is something of a revelation in the different attitudes between Australians and ourselves but you learn something new every day. You can never be quite sure just what a nation considers to be of fundamental importance to itself and this has been quite illuminating.

However, I don't really go along with the reports that Australian cricket will never be the same again. It was indeed a tragedy but how much of that was due to the fact that it occurred on a cricket field? If he had died in a road accident would there still have been the same reaction?

I am sure that Australian cricket will recover after a due period of mourning and go on from strength to strength. Sean Abbott will feel dreadful about it but it was chance in a million accident and he should not blame himself. Things happen, sometimes that is just fate.

Colin
Title: Re: Aussie Cricket Tragedy
Post by: Peter Fitness on December 04, 2014, 09:43:30 pm
If he had died in a road accident would there still have been the same reaction?


Probably not to the same extent, Colin. It may well be because nothing like this had ever happened before in first class cricket, or perhaps many of the players felt "that could have been me", I don't know. Had he died in a car crash I'm certain that there would have been the same grief, but the fact that it happened on a cricket ground somehow made it very different.


Australia is a sport loving nation, as you may have guessed, but there are also many, like yourself, who are not very involved, however the vast majority are. The Australian cricket captain has, for as long as I can remember, occupied a special place in people's minds, far greater than the captain of any other sport's national team. Perhaps it's because cricket is the common denominator in sport. It could also be that the sporting press has made it so. There are four main codes of football played in Australia, Australian Rules, Rugby Union, Rugby League and the real football, or soccer as it's widely known here, but all states play cricket at first class level. There is a saying here that sport is not a matter of life or death, it is far more important than that.


I also don't believe that Australian cricket will never be the same again. It will take time, but the cliche, "time is a great healer" is true, and it will recover. The early part of this season will be extremely hard for some, but they will get over it eventually, and move on. That's not to say that Phillip Hughes will be forgotten, far from it, in most cricket lovers' minds he will always be 63 not out.


Just as a footnote, there was a story in the news a couple of days ago of a young lad in a junior match who scored 37 then walked off the pitch. When asked why he replied, "I have just completed Phillip Hughes' final century".


Peter.
Title: Re: Aussie Cricket Tragedy
Post by: Footski on December 05, 2014, 07:40:28 am
Colin,
The death of Phillip Hughes has not only affected those in Australia. It may be difficult to understand, but cricketers and fans from around the world, consider themselves a part of the "Cricket Family". The "Family" has just lost one of its loved ones. That is the best way I can describe it and yes, me, a Pom, shed a tear at the news and again on the day of the funeral. It will take some time for cricket to recover, but recover it will.