The first Test match between Australia and India has been postponed following the shock death of Phillip Hughes, Cricket Australia has announced.
Future plans for the match were unconfirmed on Saturday afternoon, but it will not commence in Brisbane on Thursday as scheduled.
Hughes’ funeral will take place at 2pm on Wednesday in the 25-year-old’s hometown of Macksville in northern NSW.
Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland said players could not be expected to return to the field the day after Hughes had been laid to rest.
“These are extraordinary circumstances and we simply couldn’t or wouldn’t expect our players to be emotionally ready to start a Test match the day after farewelling one of their teammates,” he said.
“Their welfare is our absolute priority. They are grieving and to expect that they could play a high-pressured, five-day Test match the following day is out of the question.”
Ticket sales for the Test have been suspended. Mr Sutherland said people who had already purchased tickets should hold on to them until further notice. It was not cancelled at this stage.
There is limited space for a rescheduled match. The second Test at Adelaide Oval is scheduled for December 12 to 16, and the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne from December 26 to 30.
Australian Cricketers’ Association chief Alastair Nicholson said the organisation had advised Cricket Australia that giving teammates the time and space to mourn was of utmost importance.
“The players are going through a grieving process and they must be afforded the opportunity to do so. As anyone can appreciate, this process doesn’t run according to a clock or a calendar,” Mr Nicholson said.
Hughes’ funeral will be held at Macksville High School sports hall and will be televised on the Nine Network. Overflow areas with screens will be set up on the school ovals for those wishing to pay their respects in person. The service will also be broadcast on screens at the SCG and Adelaide Oval.
Qantas has scheduled two extra 737 services between Sydney and Coffs Harbour on Wednesday, Cricket Australia said.
On Friday, NSW Premier Mike Baird announced a state memorial service for Hughes will be held at the Sydney Cricket Ground. It was expected to be around the middle of December.
The future of round five of the Sheffield Shield was also unconfirmed on Saturday. The match is due to commence on Friday December 5. Cricket Australia will hold a meeting early next week to discuss the matter.
