Cricketer Phillip Hughes dies

[Mark]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/30219440

All of us on here are aware of the risks competitors put themselves through when they compete in motorsport and serious injury and even death has always been part of the sport.

But you don't expect to die playing a game of cricket, but that's exactly what happened to Phillip Hughes after being struck by the ball.

[Storm]

Has happened in cricket before, but a pretty freak thing to happen especially to a test level player! very sad.

I thought of Bianchi and Schumi and how they are faring after getting a head injury and perhaps it was for the best that this young guy and his family did not go through the same prolonged state of agony.

I guess the bowler who bowled the bouncer is also very unlucky that he has to carry on with this on his mind with what happened not really his mistake.

[anfield5]

Sad day for world cricket and for Australian sport in particular. Absolute freakish accident 1/1000000 type of thing. My thoughts are with the Hughes family and all those close to Phil. Special prayer for Sean Abbott, he will have to live with this for the rest of his life, and he did absolutely nothing wrong. It must be devastating for him and has undoubtedly changed his life in a completely negative way. All I can say to Sean is we are all behind you and supporting you as well.

[AndyRAC]

Shocking and sad are an understatement. Such an aggresive batsmen who showed plenty of fight I just expected him to pull through. When I arrived at work to be told he passed away I was gutted. Still had so much to give, and was in line for a return to the Australia team.

And, as already said, a freakish 1/1,000,000 chance. How his team mates and the poor bowler move on is anybodys guess.

RIP Phil Hughes

[Brown, Jon Brow]

Incredibly sad story.

One must feel for Abbott as well in times like these.

[odykas]

Terrible news.

RIP

[steveaki13]

So sad. For the family and friends, but also for Cricket and the young bowler. He will be traumatised by this for the rest of his life I imagine. When the fact is it was nothing he is responsible for.

[journeyman racer]

Taken the jam out of the donut for everyone down here, including those not interested in cricket. There's a sports radio station down here that l've listened to since it began in 04 (SEN1116). Even though the first day of the station coincided with the death of David Hookes, and there's been prominent former/sports stars/personalities that have passed away since. The only other time I've heard the presenters be so downbeat, sombre, was when news of a young girl got thrown off the Westgate bridge by her mentally ill father.

The presenters at the time (David Schwarz and Mark Allen) made the call for those with driving to put their lights on as a mark of respect. Within an hour, quite a number of cars were driving around Melbourne with their headlights on.

[Brown, Jon Brow]

Obviously people in their 20s die all the time, but it always seems more tragic when it's a sportsman. They are supposed to be the pinnacle of human-kind compared to us mere mortals. Even though we know facing a 90mph cricket ball, racing a car at 200mph or stepping into a boxing ring are dangerous, it just shows how vulnerable we all are to tragedy.

[journeyman racer]

If you didn't know. It would've been his birthday today.

[Spafranco]

I don't understand the rules in cricket but am able to follow the game enough to enjoy it and see the skill whenever on vacation in Europe. I did get the opportunity to hold a cricket ball one and I could not believe it was so dang heavy.
Sad to hear of a young man losing his life playing a game he loved. I wish his family well.

[henners88]

It was a freak accident indeed and not one we often see at the highest level. Hopefully this will put an end to trend of aiming for the man rather than the wicket. We see that all too often these days with international cricket, especially during tests that turn aggressive. Not suggesting this was the case in Phillip Hughes case, but it does go to show that it can end with the worst possible consequences should the bowler aim short and risk hitting the batsman head.

Condolences to his family and his team mates in the Australian Cricket team. It was very moving seeing Michael Clarke's eulogy at the funeral and its clear this has had a devastating effect on all who played with Phillip.