Ben Austin, a 17-year-old Australian cricketer, died after a ball hit her in the neck during a training session in Melbourne, evoking grief and painful memories of the tragic death of Phillip Hughes in 2014.
Austin was rushed to hospital in a critical condition after being struck in the neck and the head area by a ball while training for his club at Ferntree Gully in Melbourne on Tuesday. Austin was facing bowlers in the nets ahead of a T20 match when the injury took place in front of his teammates. He was put on ventilator after the incident, but succumbed to his injuries.
The Ferntree Gully Cricket Club confirmed Austin's death on Thursday. "We are absolutely devastated by the passing of Ben, and the impacts of his death will be felt by all in our cricket community," the club said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his family – Jace, Tracey, Cooper and Zach, his extended family, his friends and all of those who knew Ben and the joy that he brought," said the club.
Austin was wearing a helmet but not a neck guard, and the tragic incident is likely to trigger calls to make such protection mandatory at every level of the sport, like it is in top-flight cricket.
Earlier on Thursday, Cricket Victoria released a statement from Ben's father, Jace Austin, on behalf of the family. "We are utterly devastated by the passing of our beautiful Ben, who died earlier on Thursday morning," the family said in the statement. "For Tracey and I, Ben was an adored son, deeply loved brother to Cooper and Zach and a shining light in the lives of our family and friends,” said Jace.
"This tragedy has taken Ben from us, but we find some comfort that he was doing something he did for so many summers – going down to the nets with mates to play cricket. He loved cricket and it was one of the joys of his life," he added.
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In this hour of grief, the family did not forget to comfort the bowler who was bowling at the nets to Austin. "We would also like to support his teammate who was bowling in the nets. This accident has impacted two young men and our thoughts are with him and his family as well,” it said.
Back in November 2014, Hughes had died in a Sydney hospital at the age of 25, two days after being hit near the ear by a ball while batting for South Australia against New South Wales in a first-class match.
Meanwhile, India and Australia players wore black armbands on Thursday during their Women’s World Cup semifinal as a tribute to Austin.
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