Michael Clarke, Steve Smith Lead Emotional Tributes For Phil Hughes On 5th Death Anniversary
It is five years now since Australian opening batsman Phil Hughes died after being struck on the head during a Sheffield Shield match in Sydney.
Highlights
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Phil Hughes died in 2014 after being hit on the head with a bouncer
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Michael Clarke, Steve Smith and other Australian players shared tributes
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Cricket Australia described him as "the very best of Australian cricket"
It has been five years since the death of former Australia opener Phil Hughes, but the wounds are still fresh in the minds of his friends and teammates. Michael Clarke, Steve Smith and David Warner were among those who shared emotional tributes for Phil Hughes. Hughes, who played 26 Tests for Australia, was 25 years old when he died from bleeding on the brain on November 27, 2014 after being hit on the base of the skull by a ball during a domestic Sheffield Shield match in Sydney.
"Everyday I think of you, but this week even more. Wish you were here buddy," former Australia captain Michael Clarke wrote on Instagram. Clarke, who was also Hughes' teammate at South Australia, had delivered a touching eulogy for his "little brother" after his death.
Steve Smith shared a photo with Hughes on Instagram with the caption "Miss you bro #408". 408 signified Hughes' Test cap number.
Opener David Warner also shared a photo with Hughes with just the hashtags "#63notoutforever #wemissyoubras #408". Hughes was batting on 63 when he was struck by the Sean Abbott bouncer that eventually led to his untimely death.
Aaron Finch shared a photo with Hughes as well, with the caption simply reading "408" accompanied by a heart emoji.
Hughes' death in 2014 rocked the cricketing world. It even led to safer helmets to prevent further mishaps.
"Phillip Hughes was the very best of Australian cricket: a man dedicated to his family, a loyal friend, a popular teammate and a prodigiously talented cricketer," Cricket Australia chief Ken Roberts said in a statement on Tuesday. "There hasn't been a single day over these last five years when Phillip's loss hasn't been felt acutely by the Australian cricket family," he added.
Clarke, Smith and Warner all went on to score centuries in Australia's first match after his death, when they took on India in the opening Test of the series in Adelaide in December 2014. Smith went over to the 408 design on the outfield that honoured Hughes when he reached his century as a tribute.
Michael Clarke
Steven Smith
David Warner
Aaron Finch
Australia Cricket Team