RIP Phil Hughes ...

[PET]

sad day for Cricket and Sad day for Sport ...

[Clueless Wanger]

Terrible news for everyone in cricket. Apparently, he was a top person, Michael Clarks best friend as well. The Test next week will be very difficult for all.

[Nicosia Gooner]

[Rich]

[Mo Britain less Europe]

[Berni]

The thing is obviously very sad, but you can't go around cancelling cricket matches just because someone's died. The proper response would be black armbands, a short but dignified tribute and a minute's silence. Then you get on with playing the game the chap loved.

[Classic Jorge]

RIP and all that mawkish **** btw

[Berni]

because of what you acknowledge is a freak accident? Ridiculous. Hughes took a risk playing the shot he did, got it wrong and got hit. It happens all the time. The only difference in this instance is the freakish and desperately sad result.

Cricket has always been a risky game. The ball is very hard and travels quickly - everyone who has ever played the game knows it and learns to respect that fact early on. Batsmen are hugely well protected these days, but your best defence is a good technique.

Unfortunately, it has to be said that Hughes' technique was extremely suspect in relation to the short ball - something England fans have revelled in in the past because it was relatively easy to get him out. Of course, nobody foresaw that his deficiency in this respect would have such a sad consequence, but the fault lay not with the bowler, the game, the pitch, the umpires or anywhere other than with the batsman having made a mistake. You can't change the game because a player f**ks up.

The element of danger will always be inherent to the sport. Without it, it would lose an absolutely key component.

[Classic Jorge]

https://richardosley.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/gunner.jpg

[Berni]

the hand-wringing is already ridiculous. Cricket is a dangerous game and everyone does their best to mitigate those dangers. However, everyone accepts that the risk of serious injury is still present.

[Classic Jorge]

Cricket balls are bloody hard, they should consider tennis balls imo

[Herbette Chapman - aged 15]

get me started about that wing-suit flying malarkey

[Berni]

The hardness of the ball is vital to cricket. It makes it interesting.

As a south African bowler said to me with an evil grin years ago after sending one past my nose "It's a focken hard ball, bra. You sure you don't wanna wear a focken helmet?"

[Berni]

there is nothing illegal about hitting the batsman with it. Of course it's not as dangerous as some sports, but the risk of the ball inflicting pain and injury is both a constant and an accepted aspect of the game. 'Pinging' a batsman is often seen as a desirable outcome by fast bowlers, in fact.

I think horse-riding is statistically the most dangerous sport in the UK. Could be wrong, though.

[Classic Jorge]

They threw the ball at me, I blocked it with the bat which then flew from my hands and I just thought "f**k this" and walked.

They gave us no box or helmet and just one pad, which considering you have two legs is pretty pointless.

[Berni]

on the back leg, but it does happen. In my day, we used to be given crappy batting gloves that were just canvas with little green rubber spikes to cushion any blow. Not giving you a box was cruel and unusual, though.

[Classic Jorge]

I'm so glad our school didn't take cricket seriously, or at least the children didn't.

[Mo Britain less Europe]

health and safety. They look like alien bugs now.

Anything you may say/feel isn't material. When something like this happens there are calls for action and action is taken. Tradition goes by the wayside.

[Berni]