Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes’ death ‘inevitable’ after blow on neck from ball, Sydney inquest told
The 25-year-old, who played 26 tests, died from bleeding on the brain in November 2014 after being hit on the base of the skull by a rising ball while batting in a domestic match at the Sydney Cricket Ground
The death of Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes was likely “inevitable” after he was struck in the neck by a ball travelling at high speed, an inquest heard on Monday.
Hughes, who played 26 tests, died from bleeding on the brain in November 2014 after being hit on the base of the skull by a rising ball while batting in a domestic match at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
“Quite clearly the death was a terrible accident,” Coroner Michael Barnes said at the opening of the inquest in a Sydney court. “But that does not mean that cricket cannot be made safer.”
The death of Hughes, a 25-year-old who had risen through the ranks to play for his country, stunned Australia and the world cricket community, sparking an outpouring of grief.
In her opening address, counsel assisting the coroner Kristina Stern said Hughes had been excited about playing that day, with his mother and sister watching from the stands, as he worked to regain a place on the national team.