Sean Abbott, who delivered the ball that killed Australia batsman Phillip Hughes, is set to return to action after being named in the New South Wales (NSW) squad yesterday.
There were fears that the young fast bowler may have been too traumatized to play again after Hughes died from being hit by one of his bouncers at the Sydney Cricket Ground last month, but he was included in a 12-man squad to play Queensland in a Sheffield Shield fixture in Sydney from today.
Abbott attended Hughes’ funeral last week and many in the cricket world have expressed solidarity with the 22-year-old.
“Brilliant News... The whole #cricketfamily are right behind you Sean,” former England captain Michael Vaughan tweeted.
NSW captain Moises Henriques said he was holding up well.
“I guess from our point of view as fellow players, we’re trying to expel his name from the tragedy a little bit, because in my opinion I don’t think he’s any more at fault than any other fast bowler who’s ever bowled a bouncer in his career,” Henriques told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Several of the NSW squad were on the field when Hughes collapsed and coach Trevor Bayliss said the Queensland match was not about winning.
“It’s not about the result in this match, it’s about getting the guys back on the paddock and looking after their future,” he said.
Hughes, 25, died on Nov. 27 from bleeding in the brain. About 5,000 people attended his funeral last week.
New South Wales Premier Mike Baird offered Hughes’ family a state memorial, but announced yesterday that the family and Cricket Australia “felt that given the enormous outpouring of support at last Wednesday’s funeral, a state memorial service would no longer need to be held.”
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