Players Who Died On The Cricket Field
Aussie cricketer Phil Hughes collapses after being struck on his neck. [Twitter]
It is said that people who die while performing what they loved all their life, is a blessing. Well, to be honest, it's quite subjective. Over the years, we have seen many public figures pass away while excelling in their respective field.
Last year, legendary singer KK died of a massive cardiac arrest following his concert.
In cricket, we have seen several such examples of players, umpires breathing their last on the field.
Here's a comprehensive list of such cricketers:
Wasim Raja (Pakistan)
Wasim Raja [Twitter]
A dynamic left-handed batsman from Pakistan, and the brother of renowned commentator, Ramiz Raja, Wasim Raja represented his country in 57 Tests and 54 one-day internationals for a better part of 12 years between 1973-85.
Raja tragically passed away in August 2006 after he suffered a cardiac arrest on the field while playing for English county Surrey over-50s team.
Richard Beaumont (England)
5th August 2012 was going really well for English club cricketer Richard Beaumont.
He had just taken a five-wicket haul for his club against the Astwood Bank Cricket Club. However, tragedy struck immediately soon after as Beumonth suffered a massive stroke and collapsed on the ground.
He was rushed to Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital, but was unfortunately declared dead on arrival.
Ian Folley (England)
Ian Folley [Twitter]
Ian Folley is yet another English domestic cricketer who met his painful and sudden end while plying his trade on the field.
Folley, who claimed 287 FC wickets, was struck by a ball underneath his eye when he was batting for Whitehaven Cricket Club against Workington during the summer of 1993.
He was rushed to the hospital for eye surgery, but as fate would have it, Folley suffered a fatal heart attack amidst anesthesia.
Darryn Randall (South Africa)
Just a year before Australian cricketer Phil Hughes passed away after being struck on his neck by a sharp bumper from Sean Abbott, a similar sort of incident happened in South Africa to former keeper-batsman, Darryn Randall.
Randall, a wicketkeeper-batsman from East London, suffered a fatal incident on 27th October 2013 after he missed an attempted pull, and was struck on the side of his head by a sharp bumper during a Border League match in Eastern Cape.
Randall died immediately because of the impact to his head.
Zulfiqar Bhatti (Pakistan)
Zulfiqar Bhatti [Twitter]
A club cricketer from Pakistan, Zulfiqar Bhatti, met his tragic death at the age of 22 in December 2013 after he was struck on his chest while attempting a pull shot.
Bhatti was immediately rushed to a local hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival.
Alcwyn Jenkins (England)
Alcwyn Jenkins's life- a 72-year-old English umpire- was cut short in 2009 when he was struck on the head by an accidental throw from a fielder.
The blow proved to be fatal as Jenkins could recover from internal injuries.
Raman Lamba (India)
Raman Lamba fielding at short-leg [Twitter]
Former international cricketer Raman Lamba's unfortunate demise remains one of the most tragic stories in the history of Indian cricket.
Lamba, who represented Team India in 4 Tests and 32 ODIs between 1986-89, met his tragic end during a club match in Dhaka after he was struck on the head while fielding at silly-point without a helmet.
Lamba went into a coma three days later, and was eventually declared dead.
Phil Hughes (Australia)
Phil Hughes fell to his death after getting hit on his neck [Image- Twitter]
The talented 25-year-old left-handed batsman from Australia, Philip Hughes met a premature end in November 2014 after he was struck on his neck by a sharp bumper from pacer Sean Abbott during a Sheffield Shield fixture.
Hughes immediately collapsed on the field, and was rushed to the hospital, where it came to light that the southpaw had fractured his skull and suffered massive bleeding in his brain.
Despite the best efforts from medical professionals and prayers of millions of people from all around the world, young Phil eventually succumbed to his injuries two days later.
 "Yash Mittal")
