The first day of India's two-day tour match against a Cricket Australia XI that was scheduled to start Friday has been called off as players mourn the death of Australian test batsman Phil Hughes.
The India players were informed of Hughes' death after they trained at the Adelaide Oval. Coach Duncan Fletcher and director Ravi Shastri called the players into a huddle to pass on the news of Hughes' death in Sydney.
In a statement, the team said “In this moment of grief, we pray that they are bestowed with divine strength to overcome this unfortunate tragedy. As fellow cricketers we cherish the memories of playing along with him and deeply respect his contribution to the game of cricket”.
The tour match may go ahead Saturday and Sunday after players are consulted.
A statement released by the BCCI from Mumbai offered deepest condolences to Hughes’ family. “On behalf of the BCCI, I express my deepest condolences.... A fine cricketer who possessed the talent and temperament to have a long and fruitful international career has been snatched by a cruel twist of fate. As a member of the Australian cricket team which toured India recently, he brought immense joy to the cricket fans of our country and would be missed for time immemorial by the cricketing community of the world,” BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel said.