Teenage Cricketer Killed By Ball Remembered As ‘classic Australian Child’ Amid Debate Over Neck Guards

Teenage cricketer Ben Austin has been remembered arsenic a “classic Australian child” and “a very agleam ray that has been dimmed” aft he was killed by a shot hitting his cervix successful a believe session, successful an incident successful Melbourne connected Tuesday described arsenic akin to nan decease of erstwhile Test subordinate Phillip Hughes successful 2014.

The 17-year-old was wearing a helmet but not a cervix guard, and while nan incident is apt to trigger calls to make specified protection mandatory astatine nan organization level – arsenic it already is among elite players – cricket officials said nan privilege must beryllium astir supporting Austin’s family and nan boy who threw nan shot pinch a training instrumentality known arsenic a sidearm aliases “wanger”.

Cricket Victoria’s main executive, Nick Cummins, was affectional successful addressing media connected Thursday. “He is nan classical Australian kid that we’re each very proud of,” he said. “An active, terrific boy, highly engaged successful his team, very popular. And that’s what conscionable makes it truthful hard, is it’s a very agleam ray that has been dimmed.”

Jayce Austin, Ben’s father, said successful a connection that nan family was “utterly devastated” by nan passing of “our beautiful Ben”.

“This calamity has taken Ben from us, but we find immoderate comfortableness that he was doing thing he did for truthful galore summers – going down to nan nets pinch mates to play cricket,” he said.

“He loved cricket and it was 1 of nan joys of his life. We would besides for illustration to support his teammate who was bowling successful nan nets – this mishap has impacted 2 young men and our thoughts are pinch he and his family arsenic well.”

Cummins said nan specifications were still “fairly scant” fixed nan trauma suffered by nan group involved. “A group of boys were having a believe convention and a boy was deed pinch a shot that was thrown pinch a sidearm and deed him successful nan neck, successful a akin benignant of mishap for illustration Phil Hughes suffered,” Cummins said.

Memorials are planned for coming Sheffield Shield matches, and immoderate grassroots cricketers astir nan state intend to deterioration achromatic armbands retired of respect to nan keen Ferntree Gully Cricket Club subordinate from Melbourne’s east.

Ben Austin is remembered astatine Wally Tew Reserve successful Ferntree Gully, Melbourne. Photograph: James Ross/AAP

Cummins said aft nan blow, Austin was treated connected tract by members of nan nine pinch first assistance experience, emergency services arrived promptly and he was quickly taken to Monash hospital. “He sewage attraction very quickly, unluckily he was connected life support and evidently is successful a business wherever he was improbable to recover,” he said.

Cummins confirmed Austin was not wearing a cervix guard, which has go a contentious rumor successful cricketing circles since Hughes’s death. Cricket Australia considered but decided against mandating cervix protectors for organization cricket successful 2023.

Cummins said a afloat investigation into nan incident would occur, but now was not nan clip for kneejerk decisions. “The enticement successful moments for illustration this is to move to solution modes,” he said. “At nan moment, our attraction is astir providing support and counselling for those group who knowledgeable nan trauma.”

“It’s often a consequence to a calamity that group consciousness for illustration they request to do thing consecutive away. There will beryllium a clip to do something, we conscionable request to make judge that we attraction connected nan group who are straight impacted successful nan contiguous time.”

Safety measures person been introduced since Hughes’s decease that now require each batters facing accelerated aliases medium-pace bowling successful Cricket Australia-sanctioned competitions to deterioration some a helmet that meets nan latest modular and a cervix protector.

While nan aforesaid rules use for helmets successful organization cricket, inferior and grassroots competitions person avoided nan instruction for cervix protectors, which are seen wrong immoderate circles arsenic restrictive and uncomfortable. There are besides nary definitive requirements for information instrumentality erstwhile facing sidearms.

The governing assemblage issued guidelines for organization cricket successful 2023, “strongly recommending” that everyone deterioration a cervix protector alongside a helmet, nevertheless it stopped short of a mandate. Its ain often asked questions archive covered why location was nary mandate.

“CA recognises that location needs to beryllium a modulation play for participants to create knowing astir really to play pinch cervix protectors, fresh and measurement them truthful they are due to play in, and nan imaginable costs associated pinch them,” it stated.

A starring cervix protector known arsenic Stemguard costs $70 for adults and $45 for children and clips connected to nan backmost of helmets.

Cricket Australia chair, Mike Baird, flagged connected Thursday that nan rules would beryllium reviewed. “Clearly location are things that we person to study from this, but correct now we are concerned astir nan family and trying to support them successful each way,” he said.