Phillip Hughes death: 'Weeping' Australia in mourning - Slater

The death of Phillip Hughes has left a country weeping and has "changed cricket forever" - according to former Australian batsman Michael Slater.

The 25-year-old died on Thursday - two days after being struck in the neck during a domestic match in Australia.

"I think we've all wept in the last day or so," Slater told BBC Radio 5 live.

"I don't think anyone thought the outcome would be Phillip Hughes passing away."

Slater added of the batsman: "It is so heavy and confusing. It's not what happens in cricket. In this instance it has changed cricket forever.

"The whole of Australia is mourning because he was a fighter. He got dropped by Australia but came back out and scored lots of runs. Australians can relate to that - he was gritty. His death has affected a nation."

Australian Broadcasting Corporation's lead broadcaster Gerard Whateley, speaking on BBC Radio 5 live, said: "It's a numbing shock, which is more akin to when terrorist attacks have occurred around the world. You seek comfort first with your family, and then more broadly."

Cricket Australia has also released a video tribute  by cameraman Adam Goldfinch, who has toured extensively with the national side.

• Phillip Hughes, batting for South Australia, was hit in the neck by a short-pitched ball on Tuesday. He never regained consciousness.
• Australian team doctor Peter Brukner explained Hughes died as a result of "vertebral artery dissection". 
• His family paid tribute to a "much-loved son and brother".
• Cricket Australia is "completely devastated" at the "freak accident".
• Emotional Australia captain Michael Clarke "held bedside vigil for two days" - according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
• Flags flown at half-mast at Melbourne Cricket Ground and Sydney Cricket Ground.
• Tour match between a Cricket Australia XI and India, scheduled this week, has been cancelled.
• Australia rugby union team set to wear black armbands against England at Twickenham on Saturday.
• Golfers including Aussie Adam Scott to wear black ribbons as a "sign of solidarity" during Australian Open.
• F1's Australian Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo tweets:  "The whole sporting world's been affected".
• Prime Minister Tony Abbott described Hughes' death as a "shocking aberration".
• UK and Australian press round-up here

Australian media has been paying tribute to Hughes, with front and back pages dedicated to the life and career of the left-handed batsman, who played 26 Tests for his country.

He died after being hit by a short-pitched delivery from New South Wales bowler Sean Abbott.

On Twitter, cricket fans posted photographs of their own bats, as a mark of respect to Hughes, with the hashtag #putoutyourbats.  Paul Taylor, from Sydney, is believed to have come up with the idea.

The death of Hughes has sparked discussions about player safety.

But former Aussie pace bowler and current Yorkshire first team coach Jason Gillespie told BBC Radio 5 live: "I don't think this is the time to start talking about laws and safety.

"I think this is a real time to grieve because there's a family who have lost a son, lost a brother and there's a wider cricket community who have lost a team-mate and lost a close friend."

He added: "I'm still in shock to be honest, and very numb. It's just hard to put into words to be perfectly honest. This has rocked the sport of cricket to the very core."

ABC's Whateley, said: "This is the worst day I've known in Australia sport. That's two fold: one him being so young, a 25-year-old who hadn't had the chance to live his career to full fruition; and the second is that it happened in front of us.

"We've seen it and lived through it for three days and there was a sense of dread as his team-mates and family made those terrible processions to the hospital.

"The announcement of his death felt like a collective blow for all Australians."

Whateley added: "Virtually every Australian sporting organisation has joined in the condolences.

"From teenagers being drafted into AFL competition, to iconic figures like track cyclist Anna Meares and 100m hurdler Sally Pearson, they have all been struck by this.

"It is the collective endeavour of Australian sport so it touches them all."

Former England captain Michael Vaughan, speaking on BBC Radio 5 live, described the death of Hughes as a "freak accident" and said it would "be the end of Test match cricket" if bouncers were outlawed.

"The aggressive nature of Test match cricket has to carry on," he added.

However, Vaughan said that the sledging thatmarred the last Ashes series must be "stamped out".

"A single cricket bat at the entrance to the SCG. The writing on the bat says "63no Forever". #putoutyourbats" - Today Show's Chris Urquhart on Twitter

"You want fast bowlers firing down bouncers intimidating batsman," he said. "That's high level sport. You want bowlers to get into a batsmen's mind.

"But over the last few years cricket has gone beyond respect. I hope this incident will send a message worldwide that you play aggressive but let's stamp out this verbal abuse."

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/cricket/30239932