Cricket's Most Brutal Reality Check: Remembering Phillip Hughes 10 Years On
Phillip Hughes' passing on this day 10 years ago felt personal, regardless of who you were or where you came from. Cricket lost its innocence, probably forever. A young man walked out on a cricket field to do what he loved most, never to return. His life was cut short in the prime of his youth, leaving an entire nation heartbroken.
The impact of Hughes' passing is still being felt everywhere, and in places far away from his sleepy hometown of Macksville in country New South Wales. The game of cricket has not felt the same since the affable Australian batter was struck by a bouncer. Losing Phil was a real tragedy, a human tragedy that we could all relate with.
The Indian cricket team's tour of Australia in 2014 was overshadowed by the news of Hughes' death, with the country coming to a standstill as the news broke out. Australia's mood went from shellshock to extreme sorrow to the eagerness to memorialise and celebrate the young life that had been lost.
Shrines sprung up everywhere, from local cricket grounds to international stadiums, with cricket bats placed by the door as a show of respect. The Australian team played on, with those who knew Hughes the best within the dressing-room aware that he would have wanted them to win Test matches for his country. They did, through tears and unimaginable anguish, and in doing so, found a way to move on from the tragedy.
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