First Test postponed after Phillip Hughes' death

Nevill was right on the spot fielding at slip when this tragic accident happened and Starc ran up straight away to try to assist. Ferguson was watching from the away team pavilion. I expect they will all be going to the funeral. I doubt that any of those three would be in a fit emotional state to play should there be a match to replace the Gabba Test.

why has your name changed? "r" is missing.

Suggested side: Silk T Burns Q Marsh W Ferguson S Bailey T (C) White V (VC) Nevill N Starc N Behrendorff W Boyce Q Sayers S Christian V

Idea for the warm-up match which will replace the Gabba test. There will be a round of Shield matches overlapping it. 6 Shield teams - why doesn't each give up a marquee player (not a test player, but someone established, a Hopes, a Hussey, a Voges) and a young player (a McDermott, a Muirhead, a Boyce) - then you have 12 to play the Indians. 3-4 days. Gabba. Fund for donations. PH tribute. You know it makes sense.

Haha, John Coates. That's kind of who Phil Hughes reminds me of. Twinkle in his eye and very cheeky. Naughty boys, both.

Ah, things were so much better in my day..... Yet I live in multicultural western Sydney and we strangely seem to have a fairly thriving cricket competition, with strong juniors -sure some ethnic groups are in represented, others over-represented - and plenty of guys in the senior comp out for drinks afterwards. Odd that Didn't also realise that not walking (which I don't find an issue anyway, no other sport worries about such nonsense) was only a modern event, ditto for intimidatory bowling. Strange about Bodyline, Lindwall & Miller, Adcock & Heine, Hall & Griffith et al, and the 80s Windies, Lillee & Thommo (maybe these are modern? What's your official definition?)

Phillip Hughes was 25yrs 11months & 27days old add those figures up = 63 not out

Another heartless comment from SS. Well said ChrisB.

Don't tell me I'm not dinky di (and at least I can spell it). And don't tell me I don't understand the culture of cricket. If you look closely enough at the SMH image of Bobby Simpson's last test in his autobiography you can just make me out behind the beaming John Coates - we had both wagged school that day to be there. And that school was Homebush Boys High, Hughes's alma mater. And believe me I have played as a kid pick up games in parks and on the tarmac of our cul de sac with our cheap cricket set stumps held vertical by sticking them in the three holes in a brick. But youse are right I don't understand the culture - of modern cricket. I do not understand how a batsman doesn't walk if he is out. I don't understand why intimidatory bowling is considered to be a good thing. I don't understand the yobbo mentality of crowds, some TV copmmentators (who surely should know better) and some players. I don't understand why we need independent test umpires and replays when schoolboy 12th men used to be able to stand as umpires in school games and could adjudicate without bias. And what I was trying to point out in part is that we are deluding ourselves if we believe that this mass outpouring of official condolence is indicative that cricket is somehow a national obsession. It is very much not. It has no resonance with my Polish, Serbian, Filipino, Lebanese, Egyptian, Gujarati and Turkish neighbours . Even the skips evince no interest. At our last family Christmas gathering if I had tried to get a game of cricket going in the backyard I would have been laughed at. There were no cricket sets under the tree. But they are mostly of Polish, Greek, German and Dutch descent so they are not dinky di obviously. 10 years ago my kid's public school's teams were dominated by children of south Asian descent. What does that tell us of the resonance of cricket with the dinky di today? It used to be common to see younger men in green stained creams of a Saturday evening after games in pubs, clubs and in shops. I saw the first such for a long time co-incidentally a week ago. He was clearly of Pakistani origin as he carried an Urdu newspaper and probably a member of Australia's most vilified minority, a Muslim. And don't talk to me about commandos. My godfather was one such. He was at Arnhem, lost an eye and was captured. He came home and lived out his long life modestly, privily, civilly and without any grudge.

Cheers Nudge ;)

Good idea. The Indians have been most understanding and respectful, but have a job to do. They need a way to bring their tour back to some sort of normality and a way to prepare for the Test whenever it starts. If the Australian XI in the warm-up game is a volunteer one, it'd serve more than one purpose: those who need to play (for whatever reason: for Phillip, for their grief, for themselves) can play, and those who aren't ready yet can wait until they are.

I didn't want to respond to this but it's such a horrible comment I can't resist. You are completely misunderstanding what had been a spontaneous reaction. He died doing something thousands of us do every week, sure he got paid for it, but he's still a guy dying tragically young and in extremely tragic (unusual) circumstances. To downplay this doesn't make you a big man - what on earth does it matter that he was well paid or wasn't Gandhi?

No, its too much, especially in the circumstances. Give the players a break. 3 tests is enough. I think this is a two step announcement - postpone, then cancel.

The BBL can be moved, test players don't need to play in it. It will be fine

Thank you, albatross, for sharing your thoughts. That is what this forum is about. I do believe you have a point. I work in a fairly hazardous business and colleagues (albeit rarely - thank god) do pass away at work. Those closest to the departed would typically be allowed a couple of days off, at most, to come to terms with their workmate's tragic death. However, there are a couple of factors here which I think set it apart from normal. Firstly, there's the tragedy that has arisen from what is thought to be a fairly harmless pursuit. Of course, cricket has an element of danger attached, with hard balls regularly propelled at batsmen, at nearly a hundred miles per hour. But, the thought of a fatality is never imagined. The second factor, which I believe to be the more pertinent and lends itself to the poignancy of this terrible event to so many, is the togetherness and fellowship of us cricketing devotees. There have been several times since I heard about the passing away of poor Phil Hughes, that I have felt tears well up and a lump in my throat. Whether it's been from reading the comments of fellow Roarers or just talking about the event to a mate, the emotions have been far greater than they would be for the passing of someone in another sport. I can think of no other reason than that.

agree, cancel Brissy, start in Adelaide. And in the interim, set up a warm up 4 day game against valid opposition for India. They need consideration as well

Players aren't machines. 3 tests will be enough.

The sad thing, is after this tragic event the series has now been compromised in so many manners that will take a way from the cricket. It would be better if they just called the series off, but, that could, and would not happen for so many valid reasons. But, just hard to be enthused in the slightest about the series now

Make that December 19-23 - for some reason the site's not letting me edit my typo.

I would think the obvious way to reschedule would be to make the second Test in Adelaide, December 12-16, the first Test; and play the Gabba Test from December 19-22. It would mean only a 3-day break between those Tests, and another 3-day break till Boxing Day. But it would mean that only one Test, in Brisbane, would be affected by rescheduling and the need to pay refunds and re-ticket as well as re-aligning broadcast schedules etc. That would put the Gabba Test up against the opening round of the Big Bash. But those games are all at night and Brisbane Heat don't play at the Gabba in the first round, so that would be manageable.