- Australian cricketer († 17) died after being hit by a ball.
- His club described the tragedy as shocking to the entire community.
- Deaths in cricket are rare.
A tragedy occurred during a cricket match in Australia. A young player died after being hit by a ball. His local club said on Thursday they were “absolutely devastated” in the community.
Seventeen-year-old Ben Austin is said to have hit the ball using an automatic bowling machine with his helmet on before a Twenty20 match in Melbourne on Tuesday. the ball hit him in the head and neck area. He was taken to hospital in critical condition but died on Wednesday.
“We are absolutely devastated by Ben’s death and the impact of his death will be felt by everyone in our cricket community,” Ferntree Gully Cricket Club said in a statement. Austin was an opening bowler and batsman, regarded by his club as “a star cricketer, a great leader and a wonderful young man”.
Deaths in cricket are still rare. They previously reported a death in 2014 also in Australia when Phillip Hughes died during a home Sheffield Shield match. He was also hit in the neck by a ball. His death stunned Australia and the world cricket community at the time, causing an outpouring of grief and prompting stricter concussion protocols and the introduction of better safety equipment for players. AFP reported.
