Hughes would want Test to played: Chappell

Former Australian captain Ian Chappell says Phillip Hughes would have wanted next week’s first Test against India to be played despite the batsman’s tragic death.

And Chappell said playing the Test at the Gabba from December 4 may be the “best thing” for players mourning Hughes.

Cricket Australia confirmed on Thursday that Hughes died at Sydney’s St Vincent’s Hospital after failing to regain consciousness since being hit in the head by a bouncer on Tuesday while batting for South Australia at the SCG.

As fellow players struggle to come to terms with the 25-year-old’s death, Cricket Australia faces a big decision on whether to go ahead with the opening Test of the summer.

Four of Australia’s Test squad members – Brad Haddin, David Warner, Shane Watson and Nathan Lyon – were on the field when Hughes was struck, and all of the 12-man squad are mates of the 26-Test batsman.

Former Test players like Brendon Julian and Damien Martyn have questioned whether the Test should be called off, while 156-Test great Allan Border felt players should be allowed to stand down.

Chappell admitted it would be hard for the Australian players who kept a bedside vigil with Hughes to focus on playing at the Gabba.

But the former batsman and long-time television commentator believed cancelling the Test would not be what the gritty left-hander would have wanted.

“In a strange way it will be probably the best thing that they go out to train and play in a game,” he told Fox Sports.

“At least while you are on the field or in the nets you will have something else to concentrate on.

“Because every moment you are off the field you are going to be thinking about Phillip Hughes and what happened.

“It was the right thing to do to cancel the Shield round (this week) but I think … Phillip would want the game to go on.”

Chappell felt for Hughes’ family and the man who bowled the delivery that felled Hughes, NSW bowler Sean Abbott.

“I am sure the players will get a hell of a lot of support,” he said.

“The people you think about immediately are his mother and sister who saw the event unfold (at the SCG).

“And the guy who delivered it Sean Abbott it is going to be hard for him.

“It’s terribly sad news, it’s fairly hard to process it. It’s a hell of a shock.”

Border agreed that Hughes would want the Test summer to start as scheduled, even if it was without some of Australia’s first-choice players.

“Particularly the guys that were out on the field at the time, that are named in the Test squad, they mightn’t be feeling like playing cricket at the moment,” Border told Fox Sports.

“You’d understand if they wanted to pull out. But I think the game should go ahead.”

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