SYDNEY: Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes, who died on Thursday after being hit on the head by a ball, will be honoured with a state memorial service.
The service will take place at the Sydney Cricket Ground next week, the same stadium where he suffered the horrific injury on Tuesday.
State memorials are normally reserved for political figures but the New South Wales Premier Mike Baird announced yesterday that Hughes, whose death has triggered a global outpouring of grief would also be afforded the honour.
“This service has been arranged in consultation with Phillip’s family, and it will be an opportunity for the entire community to pay their respects to a much-loved Australian and New South Welshman,” Baird said in a statement.
Hughes’ death dominated Australia’s major newspapers yesterday, with sombre eulogies for the boy raised on a banana plantation whose life ended three days before his 26th birthday.
“Nation shares the agony of an innings cut short,” The Australian’s front-page headline read above a picture of Hughes gazing above with an Australian flag in the background. Sydney’s Daily Telegraph blacked out its entire back page, except for a picture of Hughes, in his honour.
Government flags were at half-mast across the cricket-mad country and floral tributes were placed outside the entrance to the SCG. Local cricket clubs were painting 408 into the turf of their grounds, the number on Hughes’ national ‘baggy green’ cap signifying his status as the country’s 408th Test player, while black armbands would be worn and a minute’s silence observed before games on the weekend.
Junior cricketers would also retire their innings at 63, instead of the usual 50, to commemorate Hughes’ final score.
The tragedy touched the country’s other top sports, with the national Wallabies rugby team to wear black armbands in today’s match against England in London.
Support also rang out for Sean Abbott, the 22-year-old all-rounder whose rising delivery struck Hughes.
Hughes’ family and Australia cricket captain Michael Clarke spent time with Abbott during the week and Cricket Australia (CA) boss James Sutherland said he was “holding up” well.
“I had a chat to him last night and I was incredibly impressed by the way he was holding himself and his maturity,” Sutherland added.
CA will launch an “immediate” review into player safety in the wake of Hughes’ death, while the fate of next week’s first Test against India remained in limbo.
Sutherland said the board would work with manufacturers and regulators to look into safety standards and seek improvements after Hughes was killed despite wearing a helmet. REUTERS
SYDNEY: Cricket bats were pictured leaning against front doors, stadiums and statues yesterday as the spontaneous #putoutyourbats tribute to fallen batsman Phillip Hughes went viral.
Pictures of bats posted with the hashtag flooded Twitter as ordinary fans and star players alike joined in the touching memorial, a day after the 25-year-old’s death.
West Indies legend Viv Richards was among the cricketers to contribute, and Google Australia’s home page was decorated with the simple picture of a bat.
Previously anonymous Sydney cricket fan Paul D. Taylor, who started the campaign, tweeted that he was “amazed and humbled” by the response.
He politely said “thank you, but no thank you” to media outlets requesting interviews, explaining: “#putoutyourbats isn’t about me.
“It’s just a way for all cricketers to show their respects to Phillip Hughes,” Taylor wrote, under his handle @Squizabilly.
“We’ve all played cricket in one way or other. Backyard or beach cricket, no matter what level we’ve all grown up with a bat and ball. This is our way to connect and show our sadness.”
Tributes to Hughes, who died from head injuries on Thursday two days after taking a ball to the head while batting, were taking place throughout the sporting world.
Flags flew at half-mast at Melbourne Cricket Ground and local cricket teams around Australia and India paused to observe a minute’s silence for Hughes.
Golf’s world number one Rory McIlroy, playing at the Australian Open in Sydney, had a black ribbon pinned to his cap.
Pakistan and New Zealand, who called off Thursday’s play in the third Test in Sharjah, observed a minute’s silence and wore black armbands in tribute when the match resumed on Friday.
Before heading out, the New Zealand players placed their bats outside the team’s dressing with their national black caps on them to join the “#putoutyourbats” campaign.
Fans of Western Sydney Wanderers planned a minute’s applause at 63 minutes — Hughes’ score when he was struck down — of Saturday’s derby match against Sydney FC.
And Australia’s rugby team will wear black armbands when they play England at Twickenham on Saturday.
Tennis star Rafael Nadal and New Zealand’s All Blacks rugby team were among the large and diverse group to send their condolences after the extremely rare fatality. AFP
