All eyes were on pacer Sean Abbott at the SCG on Wednesday as players from New South Wales and Tasmania observed a moment of silence in memory of Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes.
It has been exactly ten years since Hughes died at St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney surrounded by family and friends, three days before his 26th birthday, but for Abbott life had to go on.
The Macksville, New South Wales batsman never recovered from a devastating head injury he suffered after he was hit on the head by a bouncer bowled by Abbott while playing in a Sheffield Shield match for South Australia against New Wales of the South at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
On Wednesday morning, Abbott appeared visibly upset during the moment of silence.
His teammates Josh Philippe and Chris Green comforted him after the emotional tribute as he wiped tears from his eyes.
The players passed the plaque commemorating Hughes as they left the Members Pavilion and took to the field.
Sean Abbott cried Wednesday after holding a moment of silence for Phillip Hughes with his teammates.
Hughes was hit on the head by a short ball bowled by fast bowler Abbott on November 25, 2014. He died two days later in hospital.
Australian international cricketers Ashleigh Gardner and Ellyse Perry were among those in attendance.
Flags flew at half-mast and players from both sides wore black armbands at the SCG, as they have across the country in this week’s Shield games.
Hughes’ family has said they hope his exploits and character will serve as an inspiration to younger cricketers.
“He shined even in difficult times, which is a testament to who he was as a person, and we loved everything about him,” the family said in a statement issued by Cricket Australia on Wednesday.
‘He was the light of our lives. Phillip had a deep love for his family and lived his life with respect for everyone around him.
“Phillip was a loving, fun and infectious person,” Hughes’ family said.
“He always sought to make those around him smile and enjoy the little things in life, where his beautiful smile would come to life.”
Hughes’ family hopes The Boy From Macksville, a documentary about his journey, will further honor his life after its release on December 6.
Phillip Hughes’ family described popular cricketer as ‘the light of our lives’
“We would like to thank everyone for supporting this effort and every person who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to create a celebration of Phillip’s life,” the family said, including his father Greg, mother Virginia, sister Megan and brother Jason .
“We hope we were able to prove that dreams really do come true and that you will enjoy watching your family, friends and teammates provide more insight into your career from your baggy blue, baggy red, baggy green and many more moments in between, including unpublished images that can be seen for generations to come.
The documentary follows an official biography published in November 2015.
“We hope that between the biography and the documentary, young cricketers around the world and everyone who was with Phillip along the way will see the hard-working, dedicated, devoted and rare cricketer that he was,” the family said.
“Many know of his extraordinary talent, but we will always remember the lasting impression of who he was as a person, which makes us extremely proud of him.
“Phillip was always proud of the younger generation of cricket he met along the way and always hoped he could be an inspiration, no matter where you were from, and that is our hope too.”
Hughes, who was 25 when he died, played 26 Test matches for Australia between 2009 and 2014 and represented New South Wales and South Australia in first-class ranks.