Cricket has shown its best side #putoutyourbat
It may seem callous and shallow to seek deeper meaning in the tragic death of 25-year-old Phillip Hughes, other than simply the awfulness of his passing. But sometimes it takes life at its very worst for us to glimpse it at its very best.
This is something that is no doubt amplified by Twitter and its global community, but I can't remember the world of cricket ever being so utterly united by anything, ever, as it has been over the numbing and shocking death of Hughes.
In a year in which cricket has been, and continues to be, torn apart by the greed of a corrupt few individuals running the game, in death Hughes has brought together more disparate, disconnected and incongruent fans in communal solidarity than any number of administrators, dollars, rupees or pounds could ever do, or ever have done.
These are dark times for cricket – the sport is burning; its future is frighteningly unclear as its past, shaken by the reality of the present breaks apart into the flotsam of the universe.
Yet somewhere deep within this fog of confusion the soul of cricket, its fans, endure. And never more clearly has that been displayed than on November 27th 2014, when cricket stood united in memory of a great talent and a truly wonderful man who lived for cricket and tragically died for cricket.
As we look back on the events of that November day we can say that yes, life is bitterly, bitterly cruel and unfair, but people, and sport, they are truly and beautifully good.
Take comfort in that at this hard time and don't forget it.
#PutOutYourBat
Freddie Wilde
Latest
-
T20 World CupFive players to watch at the men’s T20 World Cup
A mixture of established and up-and-coming stars will aim to make their mark at the tournament.
-
T20 World CupChris Jordan believes England emerged stronger from T20 World Cup heartbreak
Carlos Brathwaite launched Ben Stokes for four consecutive sixes to seal a dramatic victory against the odds.
-
T20 World CupChris Woakes won’t let Ashes be a distraction during T20 World Cup
Woakes is one of five players named in England’s squads for both competitions.
-
The AshesBroad v Warner and Root v Lyon – the key Ashes clashes this winter
The match-up between the rival pace attacks also promises to shape the series.
-
EnglandEngland star Ben Stokes shares positive injury update
The England all-rounder gripped a bat properly for the first time in six months.
-
The AshesJoe Root credited for getting England’s strongest squad together for Ashes tour
Concerns over Australia’s Covid travel restrictions and the prospect of multiple withdrawals were real enough last week.
-
NewsEngland’s squad for Ashes tour has a familiar look about it
Fears over players opting out due to concerns over Australia’s travel restrictions have not materialised.
-
NewsBusiness as usual for Afghanistan in T20 World Cup says ICC
Business as usual for Afghanistan’s men’s team for the Twenty20 World Cup despite the political upheaval in the nation.
-
The AshesThe Ashes: Matthew Wade says there are ‘challenging parts’ to Covid requirements
An ECB board meeting on Friday approved the tour Down Under ‘subject to several critical conditions being met’.
-
NewsOn this day in 2013: Sachin Tendulkar calls time on cricket career
The India batter remains Test cricket’s highest run scorer with 15,921 runs.