Friday 28 November 2014 17:36, UK
James Sutherland has announced that Cricket Australia are to conduct an investigation into player safety following the tragic death of Phillip Hughes on Thursday.
The cricketing world has been in mourning for the last 24 hours in the wake of the 25-year-old batsman’s death from injuries suffered on Tuesday when he was struck on the head by a bouncer bowled by New South Wales paceman Sean Abbott.
Statistics say it's clearly a freak incident but one freak incident is one freak incident too many.
Hughes was hit by a ball just below his protective helmet and after falling to the floor never regained consciousness.
The incident has served as a reminder to the dangers of being a batsman facing fast bowlers, despite the protective equipment available.
Sutherland, chief executive of Cricket Australia, told a press conference in Sydney: "Statistics say it's clearly a freak incident but one freak incident is one freak incident too many.
"That, of course, puts us in a position of looking into that and we will immediately, in consultation with the manufacturers and the other safety providers or regulators, look into it to make sure that these things are addressed and improved.
"It's a matter of interest, not just for us here in Australia but for cricketers all over the world."
Regarding introducing rules to restrict the bowling of bouncers, Sutherland added: "All of those things around safety need to be looked at and will be considered but one of the things about the game of cricket is that it's a finely tuned balance between bat and ball.
"That's what the game is built on and those things will need to be carefully considered."
