Chris Hayes (Fowler, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I too join with the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and other members in extending my condolences to Phillip Hughes's family. Last weekend was the annual parliamentary versus press gallery cricket match. Like cricket fixtures all around the country—including my grandson's under-9s game in Campbelltown—we started with a minute's silence, and everyone played with black armbands.

The tragic death of Phil Hughes has seen one of the greatest outpourings of grief. It is not just among those of us who are cricketing enthusiasts; it is throughout our nation. Indeed, we are seeing it across the globe. Phil Hughes died as result of a very freakish cricketing accident in a Sheffield Shield match last week, when he was struck on the neck from a bouncer delivered by a pace bowler. Cricket, like most sports at the elite level, certainly has a high degree of risk and implicit dangers. It is why we celebrate our champions who excel at that level of the game.

The fact is that, quite frankly, players are regularly injured as a result of being struck by the ball. Miraculously, only a handful of players and now one umpire have been killed by a cricket ball in the game's long history. Given the nature of this accident—and I note the comments of other members—we should not forget about the dreadful impact that this has had on the bowler, Sean Abbott, who, it must be stressed, has done nothing wrong. He bowled a bouncer at a well-positioned opening batsman, who was well set in his innings having already scored 63. It has been the practice throughout the game that fast bowlers try to disrupt a batsman's thoughts by forcing him to play a shot that he was not planning to make. We can only hope that, not before too long, Sean is able to recover his composure and take his place in the New South Wales squad and to hopefully continue on his quest to be included in the Australian team.

Phil Hughes is the first test player to suffer this fate, although there have been several near misses. In 1975, New Zealander's medium pacer Edwin Chatfield was struck in the temple, and his heart stopped. Fortunately, he recovered and went on to play another 42 tests. Phil Hughes, as everyone has already indicated, was a very talented sportsman right from childhood. He was a most talented batsman and set records right from the start. He made his debut as a test player at age 20. He was awarded the baggy green, No. 408, when Australia played against South Africa, in Durban, in 2009. He set a record on his debut, scoring centuries in both innings. That is a pretty significant achievement for a 20-year-old. As so often happens with cricket players and those of other sports, Phil showed himself in and out of form, but his more recent successes in first-class cricket, his batting in the Sheffield Shield side for South Australia, saw him widely spoken about to be recalled to the test team. He was clearly a very talented young sportsperson.

That Phil was taken out like that at age 25 is just beyond belief. As the former speaker, the member for Swan, indicated, it certainly goes against the grain from any parent's perspective to have to bury your child. That is not the way life in our society normally works, regardless of whether or not you are a sports hero. For a father, for a mother, it is almost beyond belief.

As everyone has already indicated, Phil Hughes was one of those really likeable larrikins. He was well admired amongst his team players and he did a lot of work in the community. When he was in the New South Wales squad, he used to spend a lot of time with schoolkids, helping to teach them the finer points of the game. He was one of those youngsters who knew that he was on the way up but who wanted to take a very clear role in giving back by encouraging others to follow him.

I would also like to mention the Australian captain, Michael Clarke. He has shown considerable maturity in the way in which he has conducted himself, not only in the way he has reflected the feelings of his team at this very sad time but also in the way he has channelled the grief of our nation. For me, Michael Clarke has shone like a beacon, with his long bedside vigil—he hardly left Phil Hughes's side for the two days that he was in hospital—and the dignity and the compassion that he displayed in delivering the final announcement of Phil Hughes's death.

For the Hughes family, I offer the condolences of my community. May Phil Hughes rest in peace.

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