Tragic death of cricketers: They were unluckily involved

The death of Ankit Keshri following an on-field collision is the latest instance of a budding cricketer’s life cut short. Unfortunately, such tragedies also bring into focus people who are involved in the incident, albeit for no fault of theirs. We look at some unlucky ones

The death of Ankit Keshri following an on-field collision is the latest instance of a budding cricketer’s life cut short. Unfortunately, such tragedies also bring into focus people who are involved in the incident, albeit for no fault of theirs. We look at some unlucky ones

Saurabh Mondal: It was Mondal who collided with Keshri during a cricket match in Kolkata. Mondal, the bowler, charged for a catch and collided with Ankit, who was also going for it. Mondal's knee hurt Ankit in the neck and chest region. While Mondal got up after the collision, Ankit was unconscious, and later died. A shocked Mondal said, “It is very difficult to express how shocked I am. After the incident, I could somehow manage to get up, but Ankit did not. We did not expect him to leave us like this. I will carry this shock all through my life.”

Sean Abbott: The New South Wales bowler struck Phil Hughes on the neck with a bouncer during a Sheffield Shield game, which eventually led to the Australian batsman’s untimely death. Post the tragedy, Abbott was reportedly struggling mentally, and had to be given excessive counseling, even as the entire cricketing fraternity stood behind him. It is credit to his mental strength that he has since returned to the playing field, and is currently part of Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL.

Mehrab Hossain: The Bangladesh batsman’s shot struck the late Raman Lamba the temple and rebounded to wicketkeeper Khaled Mashud during a club match at Dhaka, Bangladesh in 1998. Raman, who wasn’t wearing a helmet, walked off the field never to return to play his much-loved sport. Hossain went on to play 9 Tests and 18 ODIs for Bangladesh. In an interview in 2014, he recalled about the tragic incident, “I shall never forget that fateful day in my life. It took more than a week for me to come out of the shock and it was hard for my family members and friends to persuade me not to feel guilty about the incident. But how could I forget it so easily?”

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