Abbott will not play again, says England bowler
THE bowler whose bouncer inadvertently caused the death of Australian Test batsman Phillip Hughes may never play again, according to former England seamer David Lawrence.
West Indies batsman Phil Simmons required life-saving brain surgery after being struck by a Lawrence delivery during a tour match at Bristol in 1988, and the 50-year-old is sceptical about the prospects of seamer Sean Abbott resuming his cricket career.
“I know what Sean is going through,” said Lawrence. “My thoughts go out to him. I don’t think he will play cricket again. When you turn and run in to bowl again, you are just going to have those images in your head.”
The cricketing world has rallied around Abbott, who is receiving counselling from Cricket Australia, and former leg-spinner Shane Warne has reiterated the 22-year-old is blameless. “It’s important for friends and the cricket community to get round Sean,” he said. “I’m sure he’ll be distraught but it’s not his fault. Hopefully he’ll be ok and can bounce back.”