A shocking accident shook the world of Australian cricket after 17-year-old prospect Ben Austin died after a training mishap in Melbourne. The teenager was said to be practicing in the nets before a Twenty20 match on Tuesday when he was hit in the head and neck area by a ball from an automated bowling machine despite wearing a helmet. Austin was rushed straight to the hospital in a critical state but unfortunately died of his injuries on Wednesday.
Austin’s local cricket club was left shocked, as he was a “star cricketer, great leader and an awesome young man.” The club added that the whole community was “absolutely devastated” by the death of a player who had been so full of promise as both a batter and a bowler. “We are absolutely devastated by the passing of Ben, and the impacts of his death will be felt by all in our cricket community,”
Cricket deaths are extremely uncommon and rare, but each of them sends shockwaves around the game. The most recent tragic example was in 2014 when Phillip Hughes, an Australian Test cricketer, passed away after being hit on the neck by a bouncer during a Sheffield Shield match. Hughes’s death deeply impacted players and fans globally and triggered huge changes in player safety measures, such as tougher concussion guidelines and design improvements to helmets and neck guards.
Ben Austin’s death has once again brought to the fore the risks of the sport intrinsic at every level and renewed calls for ongoing emphasis on protective gear and player welfare at every level of cricket.
