Sean Abbott seen wiping away tears on Phillip Hughes’ 10th death anniversary tribute ahead of domestic match

Abbott is part of the New South Wales facing Tasmania in the Shield and the two sets of players and umpires had observed a moment’s silence at the start of play in Sydney. The pacer could be seen wiping tears as the two sets of players walked off and a couple of his teammates patted him on the back.

Hughes died aged 25 a day after he collapsed at the Sydney Cricket Ground after being struck by the delivery in a development that sent shockwaves around the cricket world. It sparked tributes from around the world and most of them included a note of consolation for Abbott. He had played 26 Tests in which he scored 1535 runs with three centuries and seven half-centuries at an average of 32.65. Hughest had also played 25 ODIs in which he scored 826 runs at an average of 35.91 with two centuries and four half-centuries.

According to local media, Sean Abbott was consulted by the administrators to ensure he was comfortable playing a match on the 10th anniversary of Hughes’s death. He agreed and even put up a stellar performance, returning figures of 4/71 in 16 overs. NSW however went on to lose the match by 55 runs.

‘He loved representing Australia’

Images of 25-year-old Hughes lying helpless on the pitch as players rushed to his aid shocked the world cricket community, sparking an outpouring of grief and calls to make the game safer.

“Phillip was a loving, humorous and an infectious person to be around,” his family said in a statement released on the 10-year anniversary of his death. “He played cricket for all the right reasons and had the ability to take it all in his stride. He loved being a part of a team and representing Australia for the game he loved so deeply.”

Former teammate David Warner said Hughes would have been just as good, “if not better”, than himself and fellow batting great Steve Smith. “I’d like to think he was probably a more complete player than what I was,” he told Australia’s NewsCorp.