Moving on from something is easy; but moving on from what’s left behind is not. Personally, I think this is perennially the situation the world of cricket is facing. For what has transpired over the past week for cricket and Phil Hughes’s family, it makes it extremely tricky for the cricket players and fans across the world to focus on the game. For the players, putting the ghost of Phil Hughes behind them will be a very difficult thing.
Cricket Australia Chief Executive James Sutherland put it wonderfully when he said: “Cricket’s heart has been pierced by pain, but it will never stop beating.’ The spirit of cricket is in its people, in their respect for one another and in their respect for the game. Cricket has united through a cascade of love and compassion. The town of Macksville has led the way, with its dignity and strength. From Macksville to Karachi, people have grieved for the parting from one so gifted and for the scar that it leaves upon the game.”
Michael Clarke’s tribute speech during Phil Hughes’s funeral was so touching that at a point, one felt helpless. I am a firm believer that tears shed for self are tears of weakness, but tears shed for others are a sign of strength. When I saw Michael Clarke, Aaron Finch, and Greg Hughes carry the coffin it sent shivers down my spine. Jeez, is this even cricket? A game which we’ve revered so much has just claimed a life. It feels so awkward and uneasy to say that.
When the news broke, cricket felt unrecognisable. The sorrow that flowed from fellow players expressed not just loss but shock and incomprehension. This was cricket’s dark night of the soul. In the aftermath, every fan and cricketer must have had at least a fleeting, speculative thought that cricket might lose meaning for them.
For most of us, cricket will lose part of the meaning that we’ve imposed upon it. We won’t start from a blank slate, but perhaps we will view it in a different, less cynical light. For now, all colour has seeped out of cricket. New Zealand broke records against Pakistan; Khurram Khan became ODI cricket’s oldest centurion as he batted for UAE against Afghanistan, but cricket over the past week has been an eerily silent, black and white movie. Cricket has been going through the motions. The gestures made by the New Zealand team, in particular, must be commended. They had the initials “P.H.” io their shirts and did not deliver a single bouncer as a mark of respect. They did not celebrate any of the landmarks they reached during the test match.
I think we can claim that we should stop the rancour, stop the sledging, play the game and ignite the friendships that make it so special. Sledging is a part of the game and playing tough cricket does not mean playing ugly cricket. The silent men are the most intimidating. Whispering Death made batsmen tremble. Curtly Ambrose’s stare made batsmen pull away. No batsman smiled back at Malcolm Marshall. Vivian Richards’ swagger made fielders retreat. These men all had the skill to back up their personae and this is what unsettled the opponents. Ultimately, cricket is played between bat and ball. If we wanted a nasty grudge match we’d go watch cage fighting.
Maybe the whole of cricket will eventually rationalise an event that looks, from this distance, to have been a cosmically malign accident. But no sentient person could demand or even expect that losing a friend and colleague in this way should be boxed away while the carnival resumes. They will go on, somehow. Each will address their grief, and that grief will be shared, by every cricket-playing nation.
Cricket deserves more than has come its way of late. It is a game at the crossroads and where we take it now will define its future forever. None of these ideals can bring Phillip Hughes back, but they can begin the path of his legacy. A young one and a good one had been ripped from its grasp and the ashen faces of people told you they knew not why. Even the men of the church struggle with that one. No one knows why. But some can find a reason and can see hope. Phil Hughes and his family can be proud of his legacy and achievements. He may not be with us today, but certainly from somewhere he is looking at us and admiring this beautiful game we revere so much.
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