Teenager Ben Austin's demise resembles Phil Hughes incident (Source: APF & X.com/@cricketcomau)
Exactly 11 years after the unfortunate death of 25-year-old Philip Hughes shook the world of cricket, another similar incident has taken everyone by surprise. Early this morning, the devastating news about the young Ben Austin’s demise was confirmed after being hit on the head during a training session. Not only has this news saddened one and all, but also raised a crucial question, “Has Cricket not learnt the lesson yet”?
Teenage cricketer dies in Melbourne in Phil Hughes-like incident
Ben Austin, a 17-year-old, was training, although with a helmet but no neck guard, in cricket nets in Ferntree Gully on Tuesday. During the practice, he was unexpectedly hit in the neck by a ball thrown using a handheld ball launcher.
However, as per reports, Emergency workers attended the scene around 17:00 local time (06:00 GMT). Considering the intensity of the injury, Ben was rushed to the hospital. Notably, on the same day, he was put on life support but died on Thursday.
The death of this devoted cricketer comes more than a decade after the heartwrenching death of Australian cricketer Philip Hughes, who had suffered fatal injury after being struck in the neck during a Sheffield Shield match at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 2014. This unforeseen fate was an eye-opener for the cricketing fraternity, drawing much-needed attention for a renewed focus on player safety.
Helmet mandate & Concussion management in cricket
Undoubtedly, Hughes’ sudden demise prompted the apex bodies to look into the matter and brought a revolution in the rule books. Influenced by this mishappening, Cricket Australia, immediately in 2015, mandated that in all CA-managed events (youth/senior) players must wear helmets compliant with British Standard BS 7928:2013 when batting, wicket-keeping up to the stumps, or fielding close to the batter.
This was further strengthened as CA introduced a requirement that batters must wear a neck protector attached to the rear of their helmet when facing fast or medium-pace bowling.
Similarly, a Concussion rule was introduced by the ICC on August 1, 2019, across all international formats and First-Class cricket. On top of that, the ICC Clothing and Equipment Regulations stipulate that while batting in international cricket, players are compliant to wear with the British Standard (BSI) - BS 7928; 2013. In 2019, the standards were updated to BS 7928; 2013 + A1:2019 to include specifications for neck protectors.
All of that is true, but this recent incident has raised questions about the implementation of the rules at grassroots levels.
Has cricket really learned the lesson?
Ben Austin’s utterly devastating death serves as a throbbing yet vital reminder of the risks cricketers and other athletes face even in practice. The tragic incident has reignited conversations surrounding player safety, equipment standards, including the significance of protective guards.
As exclaimed by Ben’s dad, "our beautiful Ben", the memories of this youngster now enter the likes of Phil Hughes, who is remembered as “63 not out”. But both the young men have left us re-evaluating and questioning the application of player safety mandates in competitions where a referee isn’t present.
This demands a need to strictly monitor the safeguarding of players at all times and all levels. It is high time that the authorities look into the matters deeply, as we cannot afford to lose promising players due to the overlooked safety measures. As one of the most loved sports around the world, cricket deserves better. On top of that, boosting a global revenue of $2.06 billion in 2025, only deeper evaluations and intense infrastructural revolutions can help protect the sanity of the game.
