A cricketing talent lost too soon: A eulogy for Phillip Hughes

Phillip Hughes

The cricketing world could not have been any worse than this today. And nothing is making any of us feel any better. But for 5 minutes, let us try, however difficult, to forget the tragedy and talk about the man and the player he was. Let us talk about the good he brought to the world of cricket, his family and friends.

With a touch of irony, the player who went about his own, silent way for almost his entire career is now the most talked about player in the world. Hughes was never a man for the posters and headlines. He was rather the Rahul Dravid to Sachin Tendulkar, going about his business quietly, shifting batting positions as and when the team needed without as much as a word, and letting his performance speak for himself.

I first heard the name of Phillip Hughes when he managed to strike a rookie deal with domestic giants New South Wales (NSW) on the back of an impressive run against the Pakistan Under-19s. Generally I’d love to give figures, averages, exact scores and statistical data but today, I have no inclination towards it. He was 18 then.

A meteoric rise saw him don the baggy green in less than three years of domestic cricket, in 2009. And it was not just any other debut, he was replacing a legend, a player with a personality poles apart from himself, Matthew Hayden.

One would expect pressure to get the better of you in such a situation, but Phil was as calm as a cucumber, ably supported by the burly predecessor who sat down with the youngster for a quiet beer a day ahead of the game.

Just be yourself, was the only word of advice Hayden had for Hughesy that night. The unspoken truth was that the latter was doing so well in domestic cricket that Hayden had no choice but to hasten his retirement from the game. Of course, if you can make Hayden retire, you have to be a special kind of special. And Hughes was special. A special kind of special.

And he proved his supporters absolutely right with an imperious 75 in the second essay of his debut. It was not an innings that showered class. No, Phil was not the classy type. He was more in the mould of West Indies’ Shivnarine Chanderpaul – ugly to look at, sore on the eyes but breathtakingly effective. It was a determined knock, a knock that showed a calm, cool head, superb temperament and nerves of pure steel.

Phil went on to play 52 international games for the Australian team, and his determination in those games is undoubtedly unparalleled. A player not deemed fit to play the shorter versions of the game ironically has a List A double century to his name, joining a rather elite list of players. It is safe to say he was not as blessed a player as someone like Sir Viv Richards, but his hard work and will to excel cannot be claimed to be matched by many.

“I love you little brother. I'm so sorry I couldn't help you,” former NSW team-mate Daniel Smith said, of Phil. In yet another ironical instance, Hughes played his last match against NSW, the same team he made his debut for. You have to spare a thought for Smith and the other players and officials involved in that match. To see such a sight right in front of your eyes and to be able to do absolutely nothing about it is a chilling prospect. And spare more than a thought for young Sean Abbott.

Abbott, mate, it was not your fault. It is certain that even if the whole world says that, it will not make you feel good about yourself. But we all know this and we all are by your side. Accidents happen, nightmares turn real, but that is it. This is nothing more than an accident. You don’t deserve to live the rest of your long life in grief. May you get better soon, the world could do with some really good news. In fact, it desperately needs it.

To summarize, I want to say that how many can ‘boast’ of the fact that they took the final journey doing what they have loved most in their lives? The 25-year-old lived to play cricket and sadly, passed away playing his beloved game. While such tragic incidents put cricket into perspective, the fact that Hughesy was unbeaten the last time he strode out to bat symbolizes the way he played his cricket. And it will forever remain that way – unbeaten on 63.

Those who are the lucky ones to have not watched the video footage yet, I solemnly appeal to you to refrain from watching it. It is no fun to watch something that will leave a scar on your soul for the rest of your life, as it has left on mine and countless other unfortunate ones.

It is tough to accept he is not here anymore. But the cricketing fraternity has been united as never before. There is one world with no nations, no boundaries, feeling the same for our beloved son. As Adam Gilchrist rightly said, “For eternity the spirit of Cap No. 408 #RIPPhilHughes“.