Phillip Hughes Death Anniversary: We often watch Cricket for fun and entertainment. There are emotions involved but they are not always intense. But, on 27 November 2014, the world experienced a traumatic accident that changed the game of cricket forever. Phil Hughes passed away after sustaining an injury on the field.
Hughes, who participated in 26 tests for Australia, passed away on November 27, 2014, three days before his 26th birthday. It happened as a result of a brain hemorrhage. The batter was hit by a short pitch ball under the back of his batting helmet while playing for South Australia against New South Wales at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Hughes made his test debut in 2009. In 26 matches he scored 1535 runs with a high score of 160. It took Hughes nearly four years after his Test debut to make the Australian one-day squad. Hughes became the first Australian to reach a double-century in a List A match in July 2014. This is when he demonstrated his limited-over potential.
A month later, he scored an unbroken 243 for Australia A, the highest total of his first-class career, to push his cause for a Test comeback.
However, three months later, he was rushed to the hospital after receiving a devastating hit from a short ball during a Shield game, ending his chances of adding to his 26 Test caps. He lost consciousness immediately and passed away from his injuries. He was 25.
Cricket is a Changed Game since Phil Hughes’ Death
Tens of thousands of fans across Australia showed solidarity in mourning by placing their cricket bats on display outside their homes as a tribute. His death stunned the international cricket community, causing an outpouring of grief from players, officials, and the general public.
The apparent effect of Hughes’ death is the introduction of better batting helmets. But there are other less evident changes that have an impact on cricket’s very culture.
The majority of fast bowlers no longer intentionally seek to terrify batsmen with head-high bouncers, and fans no longer enjoy it when pacers play “chin music” or applaud after a batsman is struck.
Even after a brief delay, ICC also brought in rules to be wary of injury sustained by players on the head while on the field. The concussion Substitute rule was brought in 2019. This is in contrast with any substitute rule earlier. The substitute players were not allowed to participate in the game at a player.
Concussion Rules in Cricket
The International Cricket Council presented the legislation in 2019. Cricket was not an exception to the growing worry about head injuries in numerous sports. There was a chance that a player could desire to play in the game when it wasn’t safe to do so because there was no provision for complete substitutions.
Therefore, the concussion rule was implemented to make cricket safer.
According to the concussion substitute rule, a player who has or is suspected of having a concussion may be replaced. Even if the injured player is unable to return to the game before it is over, the replacement can play a full part in it and can fully fill in for them.
