Warner forced to retire hurt after Hughes-like incident

  New Delhi: Horrifying memories of Phil Hughes’s death cropped up as Australian opening batsman David Warner was forced to retire hurt after a Josh Hazlewood bouncer struck him on the side of his neck during an intra-Australia squad practice match in Darwin on Thursday.

  Warner was batting on 2, when he missed an attempted pull shot, ending up being hit on the neck. The blow knocked the left hander off his feet but he immediately stood up, took his helmet off and decided to walk off the field.

Much to the relief of everyone, Australia’s vice-captain was later on declared fit and was cleared of concussion.  However, his participation is doubtful on the final day of the practice match between David Warner XI and Steve Smith XI in the lead-up to Australia’s Bangladesh tour. Australian opening batsman Phil Hughes lost his life when a similar kind of delivery hit him on the back of his head in a Sheffield Shield match in November 2014. Interestingly, Warner was in the fielding side when the tragic incident took place.