Abbott bouncer fells batsman in chilling Hughes reminder

MELBOURNE: Australian cricketer Sean Abbott, who bowled the bouncer that struck and killed Phillip Hughes, was involved in another chilling incident that felled a batsman in the domestic Sheffield Shield Sunday.

Fast bowler Abbott, playing for New South Wales, bowled a short ball that struck the helmet of Will Pucovski, forcing the Victorian batsman to retire at Melbourne’s Junction Oval.It took Pucovski several minutes to get to his feet after treatment before he was helped off the ground by medical and physio staff, seemingly struggling to keep his balance, reports said.

It was a harrowing moment for Abbott, who bowled the bouncer that struck former Australia Test batsman Hughes on his neck at the Sydney Cricket Ground in November 2014, which tragically led to his death.

An emotional Abbott took time to regain his composure after the sickening incident before resuming his bowling spell.Pucovski is regarded as one of Australia’s most promising young batsmen. At just 20 years old, has a history of concussion-related incidents.

In his first-class debut last season Pucovski’s match ended early when he was struck in the head, forcing him to miss three months of cricket as a result of the blow. The death of the popular Hughes at 25 stunned Australia and the world cricket community, sparking an outpouring of grief.

A coronial inquest in 2016 found that Hughes had made a “minuscule misjudgement” before he was fatally struck and no blame was attached to Abbott.Cricket Australia has new rules in place for concussion subs in domestic games following recommendations from an independent investigation into the death of Hughes.