Like most Australians I have been following along with the tragic events of the last few days. It seems almost unexplainable that someone who appeared as young, handsome and full of life as Phil Hughes will never hit another century, never don the baggy green again or never return to his family farm. By all accounts he seemed like a typical Aussie larrikin and a down to earth country kid who was lucky enough to live his dream. Most importantly he was a friend to many and was as we have seen in the last few days, admired by all. What really made my heart-break though was the photo of you wiping a tear from your face. Just like Hughes you are young, handsome and full of life until the tragic moment that the ball left your hands. I am sure the moments beforehand were routine, just like any other, after all you were just doing your job. You did not know and no one watching on knew in that moment lives would unfairly and almost unexplainably change forever. No one will ever know or truly understand the pain you are going through right, now losing a friend in such a tragic accident but please do not blame yourself, because a tragic accident is exactly what it was. Your life will no longer be as carefree as it once was, only time will tell if you find the same joy in cricket as you once did or if the demons of what has happened are far to great for you to overcome.
Sport, just like life is uncertain. Every moment that we get, whether it is at the top of our game on the sports field or in life in general is unpredictable. As hard as we try to control the game or control life, you – perhaps more than anyone – will understand that sometimes the path which life takes us on is out of our hands. We cannot control our destiny just like you could not control that ball once it had left your hands. For some of us, the uncertain nature of life is what gives us the thrill to wake up in the morning, for others the same uncertainty can be the root of debilitating anxiety. My prayer for you is that the uncertainty of life not scare any more than it has in the past few days and that you continue to live the life that you love and the life that he would want you to live. We only have one life, it is a crazy ride. We do not know what is around the corner and we cannot live expecting the worst to follow us. If this devastating and freak twist of fate shows us anything, we should learn to appreciate the time which we have left. He lived his dream and please do not loose sight of yours. I leave you with his own words, words which perhaps can bring comfort to those who are grieving and those like you who may be unsure what the future holds:
‘I’ve been in and out of the national side probably four or five times now…I don’t like to dwell on what’s happened…If you don’t pick yourself up and keep moving forward you’re going to be left right back in the pack…That’s something I’ve always looked to do, stay really positive in my mindset and pick myself up and look to get better every time I train…It’s about getting out of bed in the morning and becoming a better player, that’s my mindset because I suppose I’ve had a few kicks over the past few years.’