Philip Hughes to be honoured by Cricket Australia during the Adelaide Test
Former cricketer Philip Hughes, who passed away last year succumbing to the injuries sustained after being hit on the back of his head by a bouncer while playing for South Australia, will be honoured during the Adelaide Test, the first day of which falls on Hughes’ first death anniversary, cricket.com.au reports.
Cricket Australia (CA) announced that players from Australia and New Zealand as well as from the three Sheffield Shield matches to be played during the time will wear black armbands during the matches as a mark of respect for Hughes.
A video tribute will also be played on the giant screen at the Adelaide Oval during the first break of the day-night Test at 4:08 PM – in reference to Hughes’ Test cap number of 408. Though CA were mulling on further plans to mark the occasion, the remembrance have been kept to a minimal at the request of Hughes’ family.
South Australia as well as New South Wales (NSW), the team Hughes was facing on that fateful day at the SCG last year, are among the teams that will be in Sheffield Shield action during the time, and the former announced that they will be staging a team dinner on Friday, November 27, to mark Hughes’ death.
"Phillip Hughes will always be dearly missed here at SACA by his teammates and friends,” said South Australian Cricket Association (SACA) chief executive Keith Bradshaw.
“Phillip was much loved and even in his short time with us he had a profound effect on South Australian cricket and everyone who was lucky enough to know him. It will be an emotional time for all of us and our players and staff will have appropriate support around them."
Nathan Lyon, who, along with David Warner and Mitchell Starc, was playing for NSW on that day, echoed the same thoughts while speaking about Hughes.
"It's going to be tough times, there's no doubt about it," Lyon said. We've lost a mate and it's been 12 months since then. It's another chance to go out and pay our respects to Phil Hughes. It's going to be a sad time. It's like losing anyone, a close friend or family member, it's tough. There's no point hiding behind it."
The Adelaide Test is set to be the first Day-Night Test and will be played with the pink ball and will indeed turn out to be special in more ways than one.