“Statistics say it’s clearly a freak incident but one freak incident is one freak incident too many”

Image courtesy of: Sydney Morning Herald

Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland had announced that the board will be launching an investigation into player safety following the tragic death of batsman Phillip Hughes.

Hughes passed away at the age of 25 after being hit on the side of the neck by a bouncer from New South Wales pace bowler Sean Abbott.

Even though Hughes’ injury was described as a freak accident, Sutherland is determined to ensure that this type of problem never occurs again.

“Statistics say it’s clearly a freak incident but one freak incident is one freak incident too many,” he said. “That, of course, puts us in a position of looking into that and we will immediately, in consultation with the manufacturers and the other safety providers or regulators, look into it to make sure that these things are addressed and improved.

“It’s a matter of interest, not just for us here in Australia but for cricketers all over the world.”

When asked if bouncers will become a thing of the past, Sutherland said: “All of those things around safety need to be looked at and will be considered but one of the things about the game of cricket is that it’s a finely tuned balance between bat and ball. That’s what the game is built on and those things will need to be carefully considered.”