Cricket Australia boss James Sutherland plans to reach out to the family of Phillip Hughes after last week’s inquest laid bare a clear divide between the two parties.
Much of the coronial hearing into the death of Hughes, who was felled by a bouncer during a Sheffield Shield game in 2014, focused on short-pitched bowling and sledging.
Hughes’ family expressed concerns the gifted batsman was targeted in an ‘ungentlemanly’ fashion by NSW prior to being struck by a bouncer.
Australia vice-captain David Warner was among players to testify no sledging took place on the day.
Hughes’ family appeared furious at various points of the week, most notably during the closing submission of CA’s legal representative Bruce Hodgkinson SC.
“I guess people can draw those conclusions,” Sutherland said, when asked if CA’s relationship with Hughes’ family was fractured.
“Certainly from my perspective I have always tried very hard to stay in touch with the Hughes family and I’ll continue to do that into the future.
“It was an emotional week. It was a very difficult time to go through and it always was going to be.
“Whilst it was hard, hopefully along the way there can be some good to come of it.”
Sutherland attended day one of the inquest but then had to travel to South Africa for International Cricket Council meetings.
He is yet to speak with any member of Hughes’ family since the hearing finished last Friday.
“I just haven’t been in the same time zone but at the right time I’ll reach out to them,” Sutherland said on Monday.
Sutherland noted it had been a “terribly confronting” week for everyone involved in the hearing, including players Warner, Doug Bollinger, Brad Haddin and Tom Cooper who were all called to give evidence.
“I couldn’t help but feel at times (for players who testified) during the course of the week. It’s certainly not what you would expect to be part of a cricketer’s job to appear in a hearing like that,” he said.
“We were really conscious of that and we provided support as best we could.
“During the course of the week but also counselling and other services were available to our players.”
NSW Coroner Michael Barnes will release his findings and recommendations on November 4.
“Until those findings come down it’s probably difficult to speculate exactly what the next steps are,” Sutherland said.
“But obviously we’re very much intent on ensuring a tragedy like that never happens again on a cricket field.”
M_Whaler
Roar Rookie
Interesting headline considering James Sutherland hasn't reached out to the Hughes family since the inquest. A pretty weak excuse as well, “I just haven’t been in the same time zone but at the right time I’ll reach out to them,”.................I wonder if there was a Broadcast rights deal negotiation going on and James needed to stay up a little late to take a call if he would be able to make himself available??
Johnno
Guest
The way to reach out to the Hughes family, would be to give them a significant amount more money in compensation for pain and suffering. James Sutherland talk is fluffy bunnies, hand over the money cricket Australia, another $1 million compo and pay the Hughes legal fees, then you can say you've reached out and Phil Hughes death can all be swept under the carpet for you, give em money mate, that I'll shut em up. They gave them some settlement "apparently" but i could be wrong, but it doesn't sound like enough judging by the tones of the Hughes family last week. Give em money CA, that I'll shut em up and you claiming to be reaching out to em.