Phil Hughes family wants Australia-India Test to go ahead

Phil Hughes with father Greg on his Test debut 

Phillip Hughes' family would like next week's first Test match between India and Australia to go ahead, according to South Australian Cricket Association (SACA) chief executive Keith Bradshaw.

Speaking at a press conference in Adelaide, Bradshaw said that the Hughes family had expressed their wishes for the Test match to be played, though he felt that it was ultimately a matter for the players playing the Test to decide.

"In regard to the Test match, (I can) only (speak) in terms of what I've heard, which is that the Hughes family are keen for that to go ahead," he said. "Obviously that's going to be a question for the players and we must be mindful for the players and respect the players' feelings at this time as they come to try and deal with this tragic loss."

The current round of the Sheffield Shield games have been called off as a mark of respect. The SACA have also made the decision that no South Australian grade cricket will be played this weekend. "There is just so much emotion and distress here at the moment, so grade cricket will not be going ahead this weekend," he added. "Cricket, everything else is just secondary at the moment to caring for our players, the family, and all those people that have been involved." Bradshaw said.

Bradshaw also added that their (SACA) attention would now turn to the welfare of Hughes' former team-mates as well as his family. "Our attention now turns, of course, to the care and the love of Phillip's family, but also to our staff, to the players here in South Australia and around the country, the Australian cricket team and of course the New South Wales team." he said.

Bradshaw signed off with a glowing tribute to Hughes. "Phillip was loved by us all. He was a remarkable talent and he was a remarkable person. Last night, through the tears and through the emotion, there were many stories that emerged of Phillip's feats on the field, and those stand for themselves and have been reported.

"There are also many stories about his love for cricket, and I would like to mention his remarkable performance too, off the field; in the short time that he was with us here in South Australia, he attended hundreds of clinics where he coached many of our children.

"He loved doing that, he had a real passion for that, and I have to say that the children loved him too. They looked up to him, and he was their hero, and he will live on in their minds, as he will in ours, forever," he concluded.