The tragic circumstances in which the Australian batsman Phil Hughes breathed his last have deeply touched everyone’s heart. In the flush of his youth he has been taken away after being struck at the back of his head last Tuesday while playing in a domestic match for South Australia.

Only few years ago, a similar tragedy struck Australia when another Test left-hander David Hookes (Hooksey) was brought down by a bouncer — not from a fast bowler — but by a punch from a night club bouncer who hit him during a brawl and as a result left him in coma before he died.

It is therefore a stark reminder of how precious life is and how suddenly it could end.

Australia mourns and so does all the cricketing fraternity of the world. It was befitting therefore to suspend the second day’s play of the ongoing third and final Test between Pakistan and New Zealand as a mark of respect for the parting soul.

There was no way the players could have put their minds into the game to continue and not think about him.

Every member of the Pakistan team knew him having had the experience of his company while on tour with Australia here only few weeks ago. A saddened Moin Khan, the manager of the team, described him as the most polite young man who would always shake hand and talk to them.

It does become even more painful when you are familiar with the person who is no more. Like others my heart bleeds for him and his family must be even more unbearable.

Only last year I have had the opportunity of meeting him during the Old Trafford Ashes Test and then here at Abu Dhabi during the first Test against Pakistan when having had his nets he was leaving the ground. His face just flashes by but little one can help as he is no more with us. He was no doubt unlucky.

It was 32 years ago I remember that the Nari Contractor the Indian captain on the West Indies tour was hit at the back of his head by a Charlie Griffith bouncer in a side match at Barbados and had to be operated to ease the pressure on his brain. Six days after being in coma he gained consciousness and could not play for his country again. Even Sir Frank Worrell was amongst those who donated blood to help Contractor come out of the coma. Now 80 Contractor must be absolutely disturbed to hear how Hughes lost his fight after being hit.

Another survivor of course is the New Zealand fast bowler Ewen Chatfield who was hit on the temple on his debut Test at Auckland against England in 1975 and went unconscious before being revived to play for his country again.

Lucky too was West Indian Test batsman Phil Simmons who after being hit on the head by England fast bowler David Lawrence in 1988-89 recovered to play again and coach Zimbabwe.

Abdul Aziz the Karachi Whites wicket-keeper was however not that lucky when he lost his life when hit off a gentle off-break from Combined Services Dildar Awan in a Quaid-i-Azam Trophy match at KPI in 1959. He got up after being hit but before he faced the next delivery he collapsed and on his way to hospital succumbed to death.

Nor was Indian Test batsman Raman Lamba who while fielding at short leg in a club match at Dhaka was hit on the head by a pull shot from the batsman and was seriously hurt but walked back to the dressing room but died three days later.

As far back as 1870 one George Summers, a county player, after being hit on the head at Lord’s returned to Nottinghamshire by train but died after four days. So did Andy Ducat, who played one Test for England and won an England cap for football and dropped dead during a war-time match at Lord’s in 1942.

Thank God that Ahmed Shehzad after being hit on the side of the head by Corey Anderson in the first Test against New Zealand at Abu Dhabi a couple of weeks ago is now on way to full recovery.

Now that Hughes is no more with us, let us then spare a thought and sympathy too for Sean Abbot, the bowler whose delivery hit Hughes and floored him. He surely must be in a terrible state of mind for what happened for no fault of his. He I am sure will carry on with his life with that tag of the man who delivered that fatal ball.

Published in Dawn, November 28th, 2014