What a tragic loss.
They say the first few minutes of a head trauma injury are key, Natasha Richardson and Michael Schumacher spring to mind, but it's difficult to see what more could have even done in this instance.
Cricket to the uninitiated is seen as a somewhat genteel game, and whilst that's true up to a point, the weight and hardness of a cricket ball means that when it is propelled at speeds approaching 100 mph it is a lethal weapon. Batsmen, notwithstanding helmets, display great courage to withstand that onslaught, often for hours on end.
A friend of my ex lost her brother to a cricket injury, standing as he was in a fielding position close to the batsman. I've sometimes wondered about how a freak death affects you compared to, say, one where someone else is entirely culpable. Does it make it easier or harder to come to terms with? The reality is that we are all, at some point, a 'left or right' decision away from a life changing, or ending, event. Leaving the house five minutes earlier/later could be the difference between being in that pile up, or not.
I hope his family, and the bowler, Sean Abbot, can try to come to terms with this in the best way possible. We live in a universe of infinite chaos and we're all a twist of fate away from it being curtains. He was doing something he loved and hopefully he didn't suffer too much. I doubt that will give any of them any degree of comfort at the moment, but hopefully over time that will start to play a part in their thoughts.
We try and exercise so much control over our lives, but frequently we have so little. That is both tragic and humbling.
It's a tired cliche, but you've got to make the most of your life because you never know how long you've got. In his short life, having been a professional cricketer, Phil Hughes certainly seemed to make the most of his.
RIP.
