Sir Elton dedicates song to Hughes and Abbott
Music legend Sir Elton John dedicated one of his biggest hits, 'Don't let the sun go down on me', to deceased cricketer Phillip Hughes during a concert in Germany on Friday, and also gave words of support to Sean Abbott.
John, a noted sports fan and a former owner of English football club Watford, made the dedication at his Munich concert, saying that he had been a big fan of Hughes' batting, and that he hoped bowler Abbott would not 'give up'.
John said before playing his 1974 hit: "I'm a big, huge sports fan and I love cricket, which you don't know anything about over here.
"An Australian batsman called Phil Hughes died of injuries he received while batting in Sydney in Australia, and the man who bowled the ball is a 22-year-old called Sean Abbott, and it wasn't his fault, it was a freak accident.
"But I wanted to dedicate this song to the memory of Phil Hughes and to the Australian team and all the cricketers in Australia who knew him, because he gave me so much pleasure.
"And to Sean Abbott, all I can say is that it's going to take a long time for you to get over this, but you have a huge future ahead of you, so please don't give up.
"This is for you Phil, wherever you are."
Hughes died in hospital on Thursday, after being struck on the neck by a bouncer, which ruptured his vertebral artery, causing massive brain bleeding. He never regained consciousness after emergency surgery on Tuesday.
Latest
-
NewsEngland’s Dom Bess thinks pitch for Friday’s warm-up won’t be repeated in series
England finally took to the pitch in Hambantota for a low-key workout between Team Root and Team Buttler.
-
NewsProteas name Test squad for Pakistan tour
South Africa have named a 21-man touring party for the two-Test series in Pakistan.
-
NewsSmith makes distinction between out of runs and out of form
Steve Smith put paid to the suggestion he was out of form with a fighting hundred against India.
-
NewsEngland warm-up under way in Sri Lanka
The touring squad has returned a second round of clear Covid-19 tests following Moeen Ali’s positive result.
-
NewsJack Leach awaiting Covid vaccine news after ‘scary’ vulnerable classification
The England spinner takes medication for Crohn’s disease, leaving his immune system weakened.
-
NewsJonny Bairstow ready to tap into Jacques Kallis class during Sri Lanka tour
The England batsman is enthused about working with the Proteas great.
-
NewsHeather Knight to lead England in ‘historic’ Pakistan tour
England Women will play two T20s and three ODIs in Karachi later this year.
-
NewsClaire Polosak makes history as first woman to officiate a men’s Test
Claire Polosak continues to blaze a trail for women in umpiring.
-
NewsPooran insists West Indies will be a T20 World Cup threat
You would be foolish to discount the West Indies in the short format despite their poor run of late.
-
NewsAndrew Balbirnie excited about Ireland’s year ahead
Ireland will play seven internationals in January, the same as the whole of 2020.