Phillip Hughes death: first Test may be delayed as Cricket Australia wrestles with fears over player welfare
Ben Horne and Robert Craddock
The Daily Telegraph
November 29, 2014 7:28AM
CRICKET Australia will consider delaying or rescheduling the first Test at the Gabba due to the extreme grief experienced over the death of Phillip Hughes.
The players are understood to have collectively decided they are struggling to confront the prospect of the Test match against India which is scheduled to start on Tursday.
CA has the prospect of either putting the Gabba match back by a day or two or rescheduling the match between the second and third Tests.
All options are still on the table but theres deep concern the possibility of Hughes funeral taking part in the middle of next week could leave players mentally unprepared for the challenge of a Thursday start in Brisbane.
Queensland have the facility to delay the start of the Test by one or two days, but a final decision on the status of the Gabba Test must be made in the next 24-48 hours.
Before the terrible tragedy involving Hughes took place, Australias fast bowlers were due to arrive in Brisbane on Friday to begin preparations under bowling coach Craig McDermott.
The rest of the squad was to assemble on Sunday.
However it would seem now that even if the Test was to go ahead, players wouldnt gather in Brisbane until after the weekend.
Details for Hughes funeral are yet to be announced, but its anticipated the service would take part in his home town of Macksville mid next week.
As mentally traumatised as players are at the present time, Hughes family are understood to have expressed a desire for the Test to go ahead.
However, the difficulties of balancing funeral and Test match remains a logistic and emotional
The entire Australian Test squad gathered at the SCG on Friday to be counselled and to digest the news that has shocked the sporting world.
Australian team performance manager Pat Howard said it was important the managing of players remained a day-to-day process.
Were not going to talk about the first Test. We know its there, but what were focused on is today, Howard said.
The whole Australian Test team are here, and today is about grieving, about dealing with the questions.
We had Dr Peter Brukner, Dr John Orchard and Dr Michael Lloyd with the team at the SCG dressing rooms talking about how to move forward. Not any games in the future, but just how you move forward.
We need to make sure the players are in a position where they can make strong choices and thats not now.
If the Test was to go ahead, it would seem the decision would ultimately be an individual one for each player as they work their way through their own grieving processes.
The familys wishes for the game to happen could help players mentally adjust to the idea of contesting a cricket match, but if that was the case, preparations for the first Test are going to be far from normal.
The focus wont be on net sessions and fielding drills, but on the headspace of players struggling to comprehend the gravity of their loss.
South Australian chief executive Keith Bradshaw confirmed on Friday that the Hughes family were keen for the Test to be played.
In regards to the Test match, (I can) only (speak) in terms of what Ive heard, which is that the Hughes family are keen for that to go ahead, said Bradshaw.
When asked if that was the case, Cricket Australia boss James Sutherland said in his Sydney press conference that while cricket remained a burning love for the Hughes family, it was still too early to broach the issue of the Test to players.
Six or seven days (to the Test) is not a long time, but right now, with where we all are, it seems like a million miles away, said Sutherland.
I can remember conversations in the last few hours with Phillips father telling me just how much he and the family love cricket and Phillip loved cricket more than anyone and he would love more than anything for the game to continue.
But as I said, the game will continue at Test level when were ready.
The natural mindset of the sportsperson is often to get back out on the field and honour the people they know who are suffering by doing what they do best.
However, the ability of Australias cricketers to perform next week remains an indescribable challenge, given their minds would be understandably swimming with questions of uncertainty.
(The players) are grieving and theyve lost someone who is incredibly close to them and theres enough we understand about grieving processes (to know) that its really important to give people time, said Sutherland.
On Thursday night in the hours following Hughes death, past and present players, coaches and staff gathered in the SCG dressing rooms for a wake.
It was a quiet and sombre affair, but also a memorable and therapeutic one. Funny stories were shared about the cheeky lad from Macksville who had made such a big impression on so many.
Some of those in the room havent been the best of friends over the years, but all differences were put aside as Australian cricket united for Hughes.
We had a wonderful night together and players from many times and many generations were there and not only domestically from around the world met together, said Howard.
Well do whatever we can, whatever the players need to deal and cope with this. Well do whatever we can to help and support the Hughes family and were going to focus on people first rather than the cricket.
