BCCI and Team India express condolences to Hughes' family

The Board of Control for cricket in India (BCCI) Thursday expressed its deepest condolences to the family and friends of late batsman Phillip Hughes who died after being struck on the head by a bouncer.

"On behalf of the BCCI, I express my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Phillip Hughes who passed away, days before he turned 26, and left an indelible mark on the cricketing community," BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel said in a statement.

He acknowledged his contribution for the game saying the 25-year-old will be missed by the cricketing community.

"A fine cricketer who possessed the talent and temperament to have a long and fruitful international career has been snatched by a cruel twist of fate," he said.

"As a member of the Australian cricket team which toured India recently, he brought immense joy to the cricket fans of our country and would be missed for time immemorial by the cricketing community of the world. May his soul rest in peace."

The Indian cricket team, currently in Australia to play a four-match Test series, has also condoned the death of Australian batsman Phillip Hughes, who died Thursday.

"The touring Indian team joins the cricketing fraternity across the world in offering condolences to the family of Phillip Hughes, who has departed from our midst. In this moment of grief, we pray that they are bestowed with divine strength to overcome this unfortunate tragedy," the team said in a statement here.

"As fellow cricketers we cherish the memories of playing along with him and deeply respect his contribution to the game of cricket."

The 25-year-old Hughes, who represented the national team in 26 Tests between 2009-2013, fractured his skull and suffered massive bleeding in his brain after being hit by pace bowler Sean Abbot's bouncer in a Sheffield Shield match between South Australia and New South Wales at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) Tuesday.

Hughes was carried off the ground on a stretcher and treated on the boundary before being rushed to the St. Vincent's Hospital where he underwent surgery. The match was abandoned following the incident.

The left-hander was in an induced coma at the Sydney hospital after undergoing surgery to relieve pressure on his brain. He succumbed to the injury earlier Thursday.