Incredible scenes of respect and mateship crossing sporting borders following the tragic death this week of Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes.
It is quite amazing the shared deep feelings of grief affecting so many ordinary Australians who had no personal connection with Phil Hughes, many of whom are not even cricket fans.
People I have spoken to over the past day and a bit have been quite emotional when discussing his passing and the feelings of compassion for Sean Abbott, the young man who bowled the fatal delivery.
Overnight we witnessed scenes from around the world of cricket bats with caps placed outside doors and buildings to honour the Aussie batsman and in extraordinary scenes from the NZ v Pakistan match, the sombre mood of players taking wickets and scoring centuries without celebration. Cricketers of all nationalities clearly feeling the loss of a fine young competitor.
Heartfelt words from past cricket greats and administrators in England where Phil played for 3 county sides.
In junior cricket matches in Australia today, where it is the norm for batsmen to retire at 50 to allow others to get a bat, the retiring score has been lifted to 63, the score Phil Hughes was on when he was hit.
It is hard to remember such a national sense of loss for one man in my time. The Bali bombings comes to mind for a national outpouring of grief for the loss of a group of innocent victims and the scenes of friends and mates from sporting clubs dealing with that tragedy but the general feeling of loss currently being felt across the community here and from abroad is quite extraordinary.
RIP Phillip Hughes.
It is quite amazing the shared deep feelings of grief affecting so many ordinary Australians who had no personal connection with Phil Hughes, many of whom are not even cricket fans.
People I have spoken to over the past day and a bit have been quite emotional when discussing his passing and the feelings of compassion for Sean Abbott, the young man who bowled the fatal delivery.
Overnight we witnessed scenes from around the world of cricket bats with caps placed outside doors and buildings to honour the Aussie batsman and in extraordinary scenes from the NZ v Pakistan match, the sombre mood of players taking wickets and scoring centuries without celebration. Cricketers of all nationalities clearly feeling the loss of a fine young competitor.
Heartfelt words from past cricket greats and administrators in England where Phil played for 3 county sides.
In junior cricket matches in Australia today, where it is the norm for batsmen to retire at 50 to allow others to get a bat, the retiring score has been lifted to 63, the score Phil Hughes was on when he was hit.
It is hard to remember such a national sense of loss for one man in my time. The Bali bombings comes to mind for a national outpouring of grief for the loss of a group of innocent victims and the scenes of friends and mates from sporting clubs dealing with that tragedy but the general feeling of loss currently being felt across the community here and from abroad is quite extraordinary.
RIP Phillip Hughes.
