Phillip Hughes tragedy: Gabba ‘million miles away’

“I have mailed Cricket Australia and we have told them that it’s up to them to decide whether to play the first Test or not. Whatever CA will decide we will abide by it. We all understand what the players are going through at this stage. It’s such an unprecedented thing to happen. As a fellow board, we are with the CA and their players in these tough times,” BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel told The Indian Express. The second practice game between India and Cricket Australia XI was called off after the Hughes incident and Cricket Australia’s chief executive officer James Sutherland on Friday said that the Gabba Test seemed “a million miles away” as the players continued to grieve for their friend and team-mate Hughes.

Patel said that BCCI is yet to receive any intimation about the first Test and he is expecting a reply in the coming days.

“The whole cricketing fraternity is in shock. He was a very fine cricketer who possessed the talent and temperament to have a long and fruitful international career that has been snatched by a cruel twist of fate. We are waiting for CA’s response but whatever they decide will be our decision too,” Patel added.

Sutherland acknowledged that the BCCI had been extremely supportive given the tragic circumstances. “We’ve been in constant contact with the officials from the Indian cricket board and I’ve got to say that their understanding and empathy has been absolutely outstanding,” Sutherland said.

“They completely understand the situation. They’re doing everything they can to do that. They’ll prepare themselves in the best way possible. They understand that these are unique and extraordinary circumstances and I guess if the Test match goes ahead, both teams will have a very different sort of preparation. Everyone wants to know about cricket and when it goes on, and what’s happening,” Sutherland said in Sydney on Friday morning.

“We all love cricket and no one loved cricket more than Phillip. Cricket will go on, and it will go on when we’re ready. To be honest, we haven’t broached that subject with the players yet,” Sutherland said.

“We will in time. To be honest, they’ve got other things on their mind. I know for many people, seven days doesn’t seem very far away, next Thursday, but in other ways it’s a million miles away. We’ll get there when we can,” Sutherland added.

“We’re not going to talk about the first Test,” Cricket Australia performance manager Pat Howard said. “We know it’s there. What we’re focused on is today. We’ve brought the whole team in. The Australian Test team (is) here. Today is about grieving, about dealing with the questions. We need to make sure the players are in the position where they can make strong choices, and that’s not now. Any choices (will be made) with the Hughes family and where they are and involving them, and that’s obviously not now either … We’ll do whatever we can, whatever the players need to deal and cope with this. We’ll do whatever we can to help and support the Hughes family. We’re going to focus on people first rather than the cricket,” he said about CA’s immediate concerns.

‘Cricket will help heal’
Former skippers Ian Chappell and Mark Taylor feel next week’s first Test between India and Australia in Brisbane should go ahead as it would help the cricketers and the fans to come out and share the mourning of the loss of Phillip Hughes. Taylor feels it will be difficult for the players to deal with the massive loss but cricket is probably the best medicine to heal the pain.

“We also need to talk to the players who were there on Tuesday at the game. It must be extremely tough for them,” he told the Nine Network’s Today program. “Ideally, it would be great for the Test match to go ahead so people could come out and share the mourning of the loss of Phillip Hughes, I suppose in a way it is a tribute to Phil Hughes to play a Test match, so there’s a lot to be discussed over the next probably three or four days before a decision will probably be made next week.

“It’s never an easy situation but … the game will go on at some stage.”

Chappell, too, echoed Taylor’s views, saying going back to the game is the best way to deal with the loss. “In a strange way I think it’ll be best for the players if they play the first Test,” Chappell said.    (With PTI inputs)

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