Sean Abbott may not play cricket again: Irfan Pathan

Irfan Pathan

Indian pace bowler Irfan Pathan has said that there is a chance that Sean Abbott, whose bouncer eventually cost Phillip Hughes his life, would never play cricket again. Hughes was hit on his head by a delivery from Abbott during a Sheffield Shield match on November 25 and died a couple of days later.

Pathan, speaking to Sunday mid-day on the sidelines of a promotional event, said: "There are very high chances that he (Abbott) may never like to play again. You have to be mentally very strong to make a comeback after such an accident. This will be a real test of his character. It was a rare incident in cricket and to come out of it won't be easy for him."

Recalls Mark Vermeulen incident

Pathan was involved in a similar incident back in 2004, when one of his deliveries fractured Zimbabwean batsman Mark Vermeulen’s skull during an One Day International (ODI) match at Brisbane, Australia. However, Vermeulen was able to make a successful recovery.

Recounting the incident, the left-arm seamer described how he felt during those days. He said: "After seeing the Hughes incident, I just couldn't stop recalling my bouncer to Vermeulen. I was shivering after that incident. I was wishing his eyes do not get damaged. I was in touch with a friend in Zimbabwe asking about his recovery. It took me sometime to get over that incident.”

Pathan also said that if Abbott requires time, then he should be given all that he needs to recover completely from the traumatic experience. He said: “I know what Abbott would be going through. What happened with him was rare. So even if it takes some more time for Abbott (to get over the guilt), let him take it. He has to realise it wasn't his fault. My heart goes out to him. He would be gutted at the moment."