Test Match Special - Phillip Hughes - 10 years on

Episode Date: December 6, 2024

It’s been 10 years since the death of former Australia player Phillip Hughes. The 25 year old passed away after being struck on the neck by a short ball during a Sheffield Shield match.It was a tragedy which sent shock waves across the cricketing world and the anniversary is being marked with commemorations throughout Australia.In a special tribute ABC commentator Andrew Moore speaks with Tom Cooper who was Hughes’s batting partner that fateful day, legendary fast bowler Glenn McGrath and former Australia coach Darren Lehmann who reveals Hughes was set to be told about an international recall the day he died.

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you're getting a fair exchange rate with no extra markups. Be smart. Join the 15 million customers who choose Wise. Download the Wise app today or visit Wise.com. T's and C's and C's Apply. Radio 5 Live. I'm Henry Moran and welcome to a special TMS podcast. It's been 10 years since the death of former Australian cricketer Philip Hughes. The 25-year-old passed away after being struck on the neck by a short ball during a Sheffield Shield match. It was a tragedy which sent shockwaves across the cricketing world and the anniversary is being marked with commemorations throughout Australia.

During the Adelaide test, players are wearing black armbands and a film celebrating Philip Hughes's life was shown before the game began. Our colleagues on ABC Grandstand have also been marking the anniversary with a tribute presented by Andrew Moore. You're listening to the TMS podcast from BBC Radio 5 Live. We remember the life of Phil Hughes, who 10 years ago was lost to the game after a tragic on-field accident. He bowed a bouncer.

It hit Phil Hughes. Not 100% sure exactly where the impact was. But as soon as it did, he started to look a little daze. and then he actually just started swaying and then fell sort of flat on his face. It's not good news. It has been sadly confirmed that Philip Hughes has not recovered from that dreadful blow that felled him in the cricket match the other day at the SCG. And Cricket Australia have just announced that he's passed away.

Oh dear. Words cannot express the loss we all feel as a team right now. Things are always put into perspective when he usually said, where else would you rather be, boys, but playing critic for your country. He epitomise what the baggage is about and what it means to us all. The world lost one of its growth loads this week,

and we are all poorer for it. It's just been an incredible week for 20-year-old Philip Hughes named Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year, selected for the Australian squad to tour South Africa, and I'm delighted to say that Philip can join us online now. Philip, good afternoon. Good afternoon. How have the last few days been?

Has it been a bit surreal? It definitely has been a bit thrilled. Definitely had a couple quite a year. 99 not out, playing his second test, down the track, hits the ball in the air, down towards long on, and he brings up his hundred with consecutive sixes. He's 105 not out. And the youngest man since Doug Walters, who was nine days shy of his 20th birthday,

105 not out. His face, a mere 132 delivery, 17-4s, 2-6s, a thrilling inning by Philip Hughes. There it is. The first Australian cricket ever to do that. 100 under do. Philip Hughes in 123 courts. We must dig in and get through to tea. and we must play on so rest in peace my little brother I'll see you out in the middle

Australian captain Michael Clark and he got ice in your veins if you don't have your spine tingling after listening to that montage that Ben Cameron has put together. I have two special guests here, part of the Grandstand cricket team that had a great relationship with

Phil Hughes, very different relationships. Tom Cooper, his teammate at South Australia, Maxville Boy and Darren Lehman, who was coaching the Australian team at the time. Tom Cooper, firstly, welcome to you. tell us about the first time you met Phil Hughes and what made him one of your best mates

it was probably a while until he became best mates the first time I met him I was playing with him and he rent me out a little bugger so he was knee-high to grasshopper obviously a few years younger at a think it was an under 17 northern New South Wales country carnival

and everyone had heard how good he was he'd scored an unbelievable amount of hundreds by that stage and that's the first time I met him and fortunately got to spend a lot of time with him after that occasion. Well, were your first impressions, Darren?

Country boy that came to the big smoke to follow his dreams and his passion of playing cricket for not only, obviously, New South Wales and South Australia, but to wear the bag of green. And his love for cows, really. He loved the farm.

Yeah. Let's get through that day in late November 10 years ago. South Australia was playing New South Wales in the opening day of a shield game at the SCG. He reached the score that goes now into immortality of 63 and his partner at the other end was Tom Cooper. What do you remember firstly about that partnership? It was starting to be a good one,

which is why they went to the shortball tactic. I think the whole lead-up was, everyone was pretty sure that he was going to be back in that test fold which I guess Darren's come out and said was going to be the case so we never actually got to find out as such but he was against

his old state at one of his favourite grounds in Sydney and had locked in as he does and then yeah it's always a good battle against the New South Welshman and yeah unfortunately I guess he wanted to sat in the wicket

and changed the game forever I guess. I'm even reluctant to mention Sean Abbott's name because I feel so desperately for him and the emotion that he still feels was evident when a tribute video was played to commemorate the 10 years since Phil's passing at the SCG

recently but he was the bowl, it was a short pitch delivery and Phil Hughes is struck on the back of the head and you're out there at the non-strikers end. I don't know how precisely you can go back in your memory for this Tom I suspect every single millisecond is firmly implanted but what were your first impressions?

Did you think it was anything beyond a nasty whack? No, absolutely not. I think it was obviously through the shot too early and got hit, as happens in a game of cricket, and he sort of swung around, and at first I thought he looked at me, and I was waiting for his cheeky grin, but unfortunately,

he then fell face first onto the wicket and collapsed, and at first he cut his cheek, and from the grill, and that's what everyone, they're like, oh, he's been here from falling, from face planting in the middle of the SCG. So I had blood coming out of his cheek, and, like I said, at that moment, no one had any idea of the severity of what everyone had just witnessed. I saw footage of that whole thing recently. It was a really tough watch, but what stood out for me, Tom,

was the New South Wales players and his mates from both shield cricket and from his days in the Australian team. It was a chaotic scene. They're running around. They're trying to get the ambulance is called and there's much attention out there quickly. So quickly it was understood that this was far more serious

than just someone being hit on the head and the stagger. But what stuck with me, I'm tingling now recalling and talking to you was every now and then I'd see you walk past and when he was placed on the medicab. And it almost looked from a distance like, what do I do?

What's happening? Can you remember what's going from? through your mind at that point where everyone is scrambling to try and help this, their little buddy here and your his batting partner, what is happening? Well, not specifically. I guess pretty quickly

we knew it was a bit more serious than he wasn't just going to get up, but we still didn't know what had actually happened. So it felt like hours, I guess waiting for the ambulance to come. He was obviously out and

in hindsight was gone I guess but yeah everyone sort of felt help I remember Steve O'Keefe was in there trying to hold his head as you do but everyone just couldn't like you couldn't fathom what had just happened

and time was sort of at a standstill I think you're in Brisbane Darren Lehman what are your memories of first hearing about what had happened there was a shield game going on we'd obviously starting to tell players who was in in the squad etc we had concerns with Michael Clark's hamstring and then Chris Rogers

so it was a case of Phil Hughes coming back into the side so that was about to be told to him at tea time. Really? Yep. I think Mark would have been down there. But I remember getting a phone call from Darren Berry and

he rang and he ran a couple times I didn't pick up the phone because I thought he'd be just saying who haven't you selected this time or you know Chuck Berry can be a you know he's a wonderful coach and he wanted these players to be in there he wanted to know obviously and I missed a couple calls and my phone just started going nuts

and I picked it up the next time and then all of a sudden he said hey you go mate really shaky voice and I said mate you okay he said no I'm not and I was then I knew something was obviously up and he said Philip's been hit and I said what he's he said yeah miss sugar he's obviously alright is he's retired hurt and he said no he's no good mate and I remember just going what sort of no good

and he said do you remember hooxy and Darren Berry and I were there on that night with David Hooks for the people out there that don't know but and I remember him saying get down here so literally dropped everything I actually just hopped in the car

and went straight to Brisbane Airport and Creed Australia just got me on a plane and I got down to Sydney and St. Vincent's that night that afternoon and I remember just walking into the hospital going wow this is not good at all so then

I think South Australian boys went home for a day or two or a day yeah we got taken home because everything was unknown yeah and then all of a sudden it's quite obvious that he's not going to survive this and I remember

everyone we just got on the phones everyone got on the phones and got everyone there so everyone who had to fly back flew back as quick as they possibly could and it was literally the whole Australian team and Tommy was there and a few of the South Australian boys and then it just got bigger and bigger and it was almost like you're just walking in

say goodbyes and I just remember seeing him just lying there I can't get that for the people out of there I can't get that out of my vision because I've had that multiple times and then

and then obviously what transpired after that you know he was such a bloody beautiful young man. Tell us about that side of him, Coops, because you weren't just his teammate. You didn't just play Underage Crigger with him. You were great mates. You lived together.

So you're dealing with all of this on many, many scales, and you know his family. How were those few days when you come back to South Australia, and was it similar for you? You got a call saying, get back here? Yeah, I got a phone call first thing in the morning from Michael Clark, I guess, two days later

and basically said, get here. and I broke down and obviously got on the first flight there but I think he was everyone's mate everyone thought they were best mates with him whether they played club cricket whether they played in the test side it didn't matter who they were they he made you feel like you mattered

and that you were his mate and I think the people from around the world that flew in for his funeral goes to show that. Mateship is a word that stands out for me. Like he just, like Bufthet, a country boy, living his dream, or maybe not living his dream,

because I think cows were more important than cricket. But if I keep playing cut shots and cover drives, I can buy more cows. It was a saying he always said. And it was just, it was a surreal experience. And I think it was 10 years ago, it blows my mind. It's gone so quick, Maury. No, that 10 years, we were talking about,

the other night when we're off here actually talking about the whole Sarah and how and then you think of 10 years and the the montages and everything's been beautiful for remembering Philip and you know my thoughts just go to the family all the time you go back to them and

you know beautiful people beautiful family but just a beautiful man lost too too soon and boy you can play the game of cricket he loved it how on earth did his family get through that time I don't know I don't know unfortunately I haven't had much contact

I think it went a bit south went through the the courts I guess and looking back I wasn't aware of the issues that played during that time but unfortunately sort of lost contact with them but I just seeing how the cricket community

struggled to get through it I can't begin to wonder how they've managed to get through the last team It'd be a nightmare. Yeah. I'll see them, you know. And it's such a public way. Yeah, touch would haven't been there.

But, you know, I think of the game itself, I remember New Zealand playing a game a little bit later and they had, it was Bats Out. Remember everyone was putting his bat out? Yeah, everyone was. My son was putting his bat out. Yeah, everyone was. Everyone was putting bats out.

I remember New Zealand playing a game, and, you know, I love the Kiwis at the best of times, but during that game, they didn't appear once during a day. Do you remember that game? I do. They didn't bowl bounces. Didn't bowl bounces and didn't appeal.

And I think they bowled Pakistan out still and won the game. I think McCollum just said this is a change. And I think Brendan McCullum changed his own philosophy a bit from there. I said, oh, well, there's a lot more important things than the game of cricket. And I think a lot of people did do that as well. It certainly changes your outlook on life, no doubt. With Darren Lehman and Tom Cooper reflecting on Phil Hughes, the cricketer and the man.

That funeral, Tom, I watched it from afar. I think everyone in Australia watched it. And I blubbered unashamedly. It was so moving. We heard a little bit of Michael Clark talking at that funeral. How did you guys as friends and cricketers and the cricket community cope with that day? It must have been extraordinarily tough.

I'm not sure we cope. We did it because you had to do it, but it was still sort of unbelievable that a game could end in the... such a fashion I guess everyone knows

you can get like cricket ball is hard and they bowl it fast and you can get hurt but you never thought that it could result in the end of life so

how did you go next time you at the back the horrible we sort of had to play as such though we rocked up at 1130 the night before in Tazzy

because the game we got told it wasn't going ahead it did go ahead and I remember shaking the whole way out taking my guard and literally shaking for the 20 minutes I was out there. And then Jeff Vaughn, the Tassie coach, and a great mate.

I remember he was just waiting in the rooms when I got out. And we sort of embraced and both broke down because it was hard to explain that we probably shouldn't have been there. We only have a few minutes left before we head to the news. But what made him such a special cricketer, Philip Hughes? His ability to change himself as a player He'd adapt so well to any conditions This is always the time when you do spark up a little bit

Actually when you talk about his play Because he had a rough drop You know he wasn't any pick But he was absolutely smashing the door down Of the Australian team And we'd take him on tour And he just didn't play And we just came back from the UAE

And got belted And it was time for change You know And he was going to get back in But he changed he tightened up his technique a little bit but still had the flare and I think when

we just missed the best of him really because he passed too soon I saw him about probably the shield game before I think he got runs as well he was just so complete a player by the end

when he was going to come back and you were an hour or two away from telling him he was back in and he just would have been the most complete opener we've had for a long time I reckon was he the sort of guy who

mood and demeanour was affected by form or not? No, not. I think that was so good. I think he was very adaptable, but I think everyone pushes now to study or to work or do something outside of cricket. He had that with his cows. So you'd meet him or you'd run

into him and you wouldn't be able to tell if he'd got a duck or a hundred. He was just the same bloke and was so level-headed and more often than not it was a hundred. But he didn't let form get to him. They're like his kids, weren't they? His cows? Each named.

Each name separately. He'd know which one they were. Unbelievable. He at least named them after cricketers or anything? He'd name you. Because I can picture one called Booth. It'd be a fat heifer, wouldn't it? No, no, it'd be the pride of the whole Kittenkaboodle.

But they were his, like I remember he got 100 at the MCG. And I'd thrown 100 away, so I was a bit flat, but we had a celebrate drink for him and got home. He was on the phone to his old man, and we used to room together as well as lived together. And we got back, and he's like, get in the shower, we're going out. I'm like, what are you talking about? He's like, my heifer's just won best heifer at the Maxwell show.

And so he just got 100 and didn't really care, but his heifer had to have a nice dinner and a bottle of red just to celebrate his cow. So you're just, yeah, the complete, complete good blow. Complete human, brought up beautifully by his parents. Complete, just everything he did. He had to change states, changed away, a little bit of how he played, but still had the flare,

but still stayed the same regardless. As Tom said, when he made zero, 100, it didn't matter to him. He was just a beautiful human being. To know, I can't sit here and pretend I knew him well. I met him once. I interviewed him a few times. But the impact he had was that every time I spoke to him, even just on the phone doing an interview,

you walked away with a smile. Exactly. Everyone thought they were best mates with him, which obviously he can't be best mates with everyone. He made you feel that way. That's the way he made you feel, yeah, which was a very special. attribute.

All right, Darren, I know it's not the easiest issue to talk about. Ten years on, Philip Hughes died three days shy of his 26th birthday. And there's as honest on the count as you can get from someone who is his great friend and batting with him. And to my right, a gentleman who was about to give him the great news in an hour or two that he was going to be back in the Australian team. Thanks, both. Thanks, Coupes.

Mark from the Central Coast says, Maury, I've just shed a tear for Philip. Just sounded like he was one of my mates. Yeah, that seemed to be very. special quality among others mark for 10 years as past Glenn McGrath for what everyone describes as someone who just made you feel like you're the his best mate yeah now it's hard to believe it's 10 years isn't it and he was just a young fellow loved his cricket loved life and just went out and back himself so you know it's reliving it all it sort of brings everything back and I've always said as we go through life the older you get the worst thing about it is the

friends and the people we lose along the way and is Darren Lehman Reveen who's the Australian coach and he was hours away from being he was going to be called in the tea break to say he's back in the test team yeah so it's a life's a funny thing isn't it things happen when you least expect it and you know that was such a freak accident

but such a sad one and especially for for his family without a doubt but for the players out in the field during that game as well I just keep thinking every time I think of him that you know Darren Lehman's twin Billy Jolson only the good die young yeah when you reminiscing about things like this and you see the footage of Phil and it sort of puts life in perspective

all the rubbish we worry about on a regular basis end of the day it's not important is it you cared about cricket and cows yeah what is important is people in our life and you hear the way all his friends everyone who knew him spoke about him that's what it's about it's about the people in their life and i think we just need to relax and enjoy that and make the most of life while we can the tms podcast from BBC Radio 5 Live. That was Glenn McGraw, ending that tribute to Philip Hughes, whose tragic death is being commemorated 10 years on.

Commentary on the Adelaide Test continues on 5 Sports Extra and the BBC Sport website. Keep checking BBC sounds for our daily podcast reflecting on England's men's test series in New Zealand and commentary on England's women in South Africa, which resumes with the second one their international Sunday morning from 745.