Wrap - Hugs For Hughes 63

Lads,

Phil Hughes. A tremendously sad passing of a cricketer hit in a freak accident. Not the first or the last bloke to be hit, but surely the most tragic. A bloke who was dropped more often than most. Talented, but somehow limited as a batsman too. A square cut from hell. Unbelievable power. Immense potential and always destined to play a lot of tests. Great in the field too.

I think we can all remember Andy Roberts hitting Hooksey, Ambrose nearly took Graeeeeeeeeme Wood's head off at Perth one year, we recall Geoff Lawson, Sandeep Patil...Jenner, McCosker...there are plenty of them. Bill Woodful springs to mind.

In a funny sort of a way it was often seen as 'fun'..Thommo style...to hurt a few batsmen like Tony Greig and others. Never fun if you were facing it. Suddenly no fun at all. In fact, I read with interest that Lennie Pascoe is advocating for silly batting shots to be outlawed so bowlers don't look to get more reckless...a hard argument to mount when a standard short ball hits someone playing a regulation pull/ hook shot.

It really makes Brett Lee look bad after that fiasco at Melbourne when he bowled full tilt at that Pommie journalist. And it makes that journo even more stupid than he was. Was it Ian Chappell who was fronted by that journo who said "sorry Ian, I don't think I've met you..." to which he replied..."yes, I know you. you're a dickhead".

And so it is that the number 63 will be remembered fondly for ever more.

I am not sure how young Sean Abbott bounces back. He is a cracking batsman too (even if 20/20 is not his batting go), so maybe this like others before him (eg. SR Waugh), he will retire the bowling one day and make it as a number 6 for Australia. But he too is in the prime of his life...succeeding and achieving.

The game itself will plough on. Hopefully helmet technology will improve too. In this game and in others like baseball too. Maybe a few park cricketers may pull their collective heads in and show a bit more sense at times.

Perhaps helmets may become mandatory in some competitions - or mandatory in every kit in every club - and a standard helmet style/ standard is dictated by the governing body.

Would the ICC do that between counting their cash? Is anyone listening?