Five emotional cricketing moments of the decade

#1 Demise of Phil Hughes

Hughes death shocked the cricketing world

Sports is one field where the occurrence of an unfortunate incident is rare. But when it happens, it leaves behind an unbearable scar. One such incident in the decade was the death of Phil Hughes in 2014.

Hailed as a child prodigy, Hughes was destined to succeed at the International level. His friend and then Australian captain Michael Clarke predicted him to play 100 Tests for Australia. The left-hander was eyeing a comeback into the Test team for the series against India.

In a Sheffield Shield game between South Australia and New South Wales, Hughes was batting on 63*. He was struck on the upper left side of his neck by a Sean Abbott bouncer as he collapsed face-first. Unfortunately, his helmet didn't have a neck guard, which could have reduced the impact of the ball. He was given immediate medical attention at St.Vincent's hospital. He underwent emergency surgery to keep him in an induced coma.

It was not enough as he passed away just three days before his 26th birthday. Cricketing fraternity paid tributes by keeping their bats out and sharing a picture in their social media accounts. Australians wore Hughes' Test cap No 408 on their playing shirts as a tribute to him for the Test match against India. Both teams and spectators gave 63-second applause, as a tribute to his final score of 63*.

Cricket Australia retired Hughes' ODI shirt number 64 as a mark of respect. His teammates have been pouring in tributes every year during his death anniversary. Matthew Wade has made a tattoo of Hughes' image on his forearm to honor his memory.

Such is the lasting memory of him as it changed the way cricket was played, with bowlers showing a reluctance to bowl bouncers. A lot of emphases went on to redesign the helmets. Umpires started wearing helmets and other protective gear. In 2019, ICC introduced a concept of concussion substitutes.

In the last six years, Hughes comes into the memory, the moment someone gets hit by a cricket ball. Peter Lalor, who co-authored the biography of Hughes, gave the perfect summary of the events. He quoted, "It was the hardest time the game's ever faced on an emotional level for sure."