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Cricketer Phillip Hughes to undergo brain scans after being hit by bouncer

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Australian Phil Hughes remains in a critical condition after being struck on the head by a short-pitched ball.

The 25-year-old batsman is in hospital in Sydney after collapsing during a first-class domestic match.

Hughes had scans on Wednesday and team doctor Peter Brukner said: “Phillip’s condition is unchanged and he remains critical.”

Cricket Australia also confirmed  that the current round of Sheffield Shield matches has been abandoned.

The South Australia left-hander was carried off on a stretcher after a delivery from New South Wales bowler Sean Abbott struck him on the head, missing his helmet.

Hughes was subsequently taken to hospital where he was placed in an induced coma following surgery.

New South Wales assistant coach and former Australia fast bowler Geoff Lawson said players and staff were “distraught to a man”.

He told BBC World Sport: “Phil has spent most of his career playing for New South Wales, some of the guys in the dressing room are some of his very close friends. It’s a very sombre dressing room.

“Sean Abbott is a rising star of the game, has just been playing a little bit of cricket for Australia and is just on the way there.

“He’s a very good friend of Phil’s, he’s out there doing his job, he bowled very well yesterday and bowled a few bouncers and one… you know. He’s pretty upset about it.

“There’s a great depth of feeling for Phil and everyone wants him to recover and get on with being who he was, he’s really a quiet guy everyone liked him.”

The match in Sydney was abandoned after the incident, and Cricket Australia says the games between Victoria and Western Australia, and Queensland and Tasmania have also been called off.

“We’ve spoken to players and the Australian Cricket Association, and given how players across the country are feeling right now, it’s just not the day to be playing cricket and we understand that,” Cricket Australia’s executive general manager of team performance Pat Howard said.

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Former Australia Test bowler Nathan Bracken says players are aware of the potential dangers they face every time they play cricket, and says Hughes and Abbott will have the backing of the wider cricket community.

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