First Test put off after Hughes' death

Cricket Australia (CA) on Saturday indefinitely postponed the Test match against India, originally scheduled for December 4, citing the tragic death of its player Philip Hughes.

Hughes will be buried in his home town on Wednesday. The 25-year-old cricketer died on Thursday following a catastrophic injury he sustained when struck on the head by a ball during a domestic match. 

CA chief executive James Sutherland said it would have been unreasonable to expect the players to get the four-Test series underway less than 24 hours after Hughes was laid to rest in Macksville, New South Wales. The entire Australian side and members of the touring Indian team and its support staff will attend the funeral. 

“Their welfare is our absolute priority. They are grieving, and to expect them to play a high-pressure five-day Test match the following day is out of the question,” he said in a statement. “We appreciate the incredible understanding and support of the BCCI,” he said. 

Meanwhile, the travelling Indian team’s spokesperson R N Baba said, “The team has been informed of the postponement of the first Test at the Gabba.”

Ticket sales for the First Test had been suspended, and a new date would be set after consultation with the BCCI, broadcasters and stadium officials, Sutherland added.  

There is little room for manoeuvre as the second Test is scheduled in Adelaide from December 12-16. However, the first Test can be rescheduled for a date after the fourth match and before the triangular series.