Phillip Joel Hughes Biography
Posted On March 29th, 2015 By Celebrity Biographies
Phillip Joel Hughes
Phillip Joel Hughes was a tremendous Australian cricketer who shot into fame at a very young age. He was a left handed batsmen and represented Australian team in both Test matches and One Day International. He also played domestic cricket for Worcestershire and South Australia. Phillip Hughes was a left handed opening batsmen who was drafted into Australia’s playing eleven and made his test debut in 2009, when he was merely 20 years old.
It was the tour of South Africa, just after the legendary Australian batsmen, Matthew Hayden announced his retirement, that Phillip Hughes was announced as his replacement. Facing the fiery pace of South African bowlers, Phillip got out on 0 (duck) in the very first inning he played, but came out strongly on top with his 75 in the next inning. it was no mighty feat, but the best was yet to come. The second match took place in Durban and Phillip Hughes scored a century in both of the innings. He scored 115 in the first inning, thus becoming Australia’s youngest centurion in Test match history. In the second inning he scored a 160 and he shot into fame overnight, becoming the youngest ever international player to achieve this feat of two centuries in consecutive innings of a match. This was the sign of a promising career to follow from a talented left handed batsmen.
In 2013, Phillip Hughes got a chance to play for Australia against Sri Lanka in One Day International cricket in Melbourne. He scored a fine century smashing Sri Lankan bowlers across the park in this ODI debut, another feat that not many have achieved. He did have some highs and lows in his career but his talent was noticed worldwide and he achieved lot of respect for the same.
On 25th November 2014, Phillip Hughes was playing Sheffield Shield match at the Sydney Cricket Ground. In a cruel twist of fate, Hughes was hit on the lower neck, by a bouncer bowled by Australian bowler Sean Abbott. Phillip immediately collapsed face first on the ground. He was taken to St. Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney where it was found that the blow by cricket ball has caused vertebral artery dissection that led to a subarachnoid hemorrhage. He had to undergo an emergency surgery and was later placed in an induced coma in the Intensive Care Unit. However Phillip never regained consciousness and was declared dead on 27th November 2014, three days shy of his 26th birthday.
Australia won the following Cricket World Cup in 2015, which took place in month of February-March at Australia and New Zealand. The then Australian cricket captain, Michael Clarke, dedicated this World Cup to Phillip Joel Hughes.
Early Life & Cricket Career
Phillip Joel Hughes was born on 30th November 1988 in Macksville, New South Wales, Australia. He was born to father Greg and an Italian mother, Virginia. Phillip played junior cricket for Macksville RSL Cricket Club where he outshone others so quickly, that he was playing A Grade cricket at age of 12. He was a talented Rugby player as well. But his interests lied in cricket. Five years later, he moved to Sydney and started playing for Western Suburbs District Cricket Club in Sydney Grade Cricket. He scored a century on his grade debut, scoring 141* not out. He amassed 752 runs in the season of 2006-07 at an average of 35.81 with a highest score of 142* not out. Soon after, Phillip Hughes played on a world level when he represented Australia in the Under-19 ICC Cricket World Cup of 2008.
After scoring lot of runs for New South Wales junior cricket team, followed by Western Suburbs Grade cricket, Phillip was offered a rookie contract by New South Wales for the year 2007-08 season. On 20th November 2007, he played his debut first class game against Tasmania at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). He scored a fiery 51 along with two catches to start his glorious season for New South Wales. He was soon upgraded to a full state contract by New South Wales, when he helped his team win the Pura Cup, after he scored a match winning 116 of 175 balls. He was 19 years old at this time and he became the youngest player to make a century in Sheffield Shield final. He won the New South Wales Rising Star” award for his achievements.
Phillip Hughes was signed by Middlesex, soon after for the English county cricket season of 2009. Although it was a short term contract, but that didn’t dampen his spirits or performance by any means. He scored a total of 574 in his three first-class matches at an impressive massive average of 143.50.
In 2010-11, Phillip Hughes scored back to back century for New South Wales. His score in the two matches were, 54, 115, 138 and 93. A super impressive performance that made him the most potential replacement for Matthew Hayden, who was the star opening batsman for Australia International cricket team at that time.
On 26th February 2009, Phillip Hughes was called in to replace Matthew Hayden, as the opening batsman for Australia. His first match was against South Africa and was set at the New Wanderers Stadium at Johannesburg, South Africa. Dale Steyn, one of the finest bowlers of the era, took his wicket on the very fourth ball of the match. He got out for a duck on his international debut. But he came back strongly to score 75 in the second innings with the help of 11 fours and 1 six.
On 6th March 2009, the second test match was set at Sahara Stadium in Kingsmead, Durban. Hughes went onto score a fine hundred in the first innings and then another hundred in the second innings as well. Thus becoming the youngest cricketer ever to score a century in both innings. He was 20 years and 96 days old at that time. Upon his return from this South Africa tour, Macksville, his hometown cricket club, announced a “Phillip Hughes Award”, which was to be awarded every year to the most promising young cricketer from the district of Macksville.
After this period, Phillip Hughes had highs and lows in his career. He was often dropped from the team and replaced by Shane Watson, who opened the batting for Australia and also provided an extra bowling option. He played against Pakistan, England in the Ashes, and New Zealand in the year 2009-2010, but his performances were not very consistent and he was usually added in the team when someone got injured. The bowlers got better of him as they started to learn about his technique and Hughes was found short of runs and form. His inconsistency led him off the international team and back into first class cricket.
He was playing for Worcestershire on the English County Cricket, when Hughes made much needed efforts to change his batting technique and that resulted in more strokes in his batting armory. Soon after he left his home state, New South Wales and started playing for South Australia. His started accumulating runs again in the Sheffield Shield and also in the Ryobi Cup. With his new found form, he was recalled to the Australian Cricket Team to play test match against Sri Lanka at Hobart in December 2012. It was the retirement of Ricky Ponting, that led to his place in the playing eleven. Hughes didn’t disappoint as he scored quick 86 in that match, batting at number 3. With the new found confidence, he amassed a total of 233 runs at an average of 46.60, including two half centuries. He quickly cemented his place at number 3 in the Australian side and was set to receive a $1 million contract from Cricket Australia.
In the end of 2012/13 summer, in lieu of Michael Hussey’s retirement, Phillip Hughes was picked for Australia’s ODI Team as well as the T20 team. His place was confirmed in all three forms of cricket on 6th January 2013. On his ODI debut against Sri Lanka, Hughes scored 112 off 129 balls before he was dismissed by Lasith Malinga. In the fifth match of the same series, Hughes scored a match winning knock scoring 138* not out off 154 balls. His stint however came to end when he scored only 147 runs in eight innings at the average of 18.37, in the series against India. He was picked for the Ashes 2013, but was dropped after two test matched because of his lack of form. That was the last test he ever played. He continued to play ODI for Australia against India, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Pakistan in the year 2013-14, and a single T20 match against Pakistan.
Personal Life
Not much has been shared about Phillip Hughes personal life. He was a great friend in particularly with teammate Michael Clarke, David Warner and the boxer Anthony Mundine. Family business was of banana farming. As mentioned before, Hughes was a good player of Rugby as well and he grew up with Macksville’s and Australia’s league rugby player, Greg Inglis.
In 2013 end, Hughes bought a huge land (nearly 220 acres) and some Aberdeen angus breed cattle, which is particularly used in beef production.
Death
On 25th November 2014, Phillip Hughes was batting for South Australia against New South Wales in the Sheffield Shield, when a bowl from New South Wales bowler, Sean Abbott hit Phil, right on the neck. He was wearing a helmet, but the bowl hit on the unprotected area beneath the ear. He collapsed almost immediately and was rushed to St. Vincent Hospital in Sydney. After analysis, Hughes injury was described as a rare but sports related injury. It was a blunt cerebrovascular injury called a vertebral artery dissection which led to subarachnoid haemorrhage. Unfortunately Hughes never regained consciousness and died on the morning of 27th November 2014. The Prime Minister of Australia, Tony Abbott, said “For a young life to be cut short playing our national game seems a shocking aberration. He was loved, admired and respected by his team-mates and by legions of cricket fans.”
Phillip Hughes funeral was held on 3rd December 2014 at his Macksville High School. Thousand of people followed the service at Macksville via news on televisions and social media like Facebook and Twitter.
On 29th March 2015, Australia won the ICC Cricket World Cup and dedicated the victory to Phillip Joel Hughes. Cricket Australia has also retired Australia’s ODI Jersey number 64, in remembrance of Phillip Hughes.
