Cricket Australia would reportedly consider delaying or rescheduling the first Test at the Gabba in light of Australian batsman Phillip Hughes’ passing.
The players are understood to have collectively decided that they are struggling to confront the prospect of the Test match against India, which is scheduled to start on Thursday.
CA has the prospect of either putting the Gabba match back by a day or two or rescheduling the match between the second and third Tests, News.com.au reported.
All options are still on the table but there’s deep concern that the possibility of Hughes’ funeral taking part in the middle of next week could leave players mentally unprepared for the challenge of a Thursday start in Brisbane.
Queensland have the facility to delay the start of the Test by one or two days, but a final decision on the status of the Gabba Test must be made in the next 24-48 hours.
Before the terrible tragedy involving Hughes took place, Australia’s fast bowlers were due to arrive in Brisbane on Friday to begin preparations under bowling coach Craig McDermott.
Details for Hughes’ funeral are yet to be announced, but it’s anticipated the service would take part in his hometown of Macksville mid next week.
As mentally traumatised as players are at the present time, Hughes’ family are reportedly understood to have expressed a desire for the Test to go ahead. However, the difficulties of balancing funeral and Test match remain a logistic and emotional struggle for CA.
Australian team performance manager Pat Howard said that it was important the managing of players remained a day-to-day process. He said that they need to make sure the players are in a position where they can make strong choices and that’s not now.
If the Test was to go ahead, it would seem the decision would ultimately be an individual one for each player as they work their way through their own grieving processes.
CA boss James Sutherland said in his Sydney press conference that while cricket remained a burning love for the Hughes family, it was still too early to broach the issue of the Test to players. He added that six or seven days to the Test is not a long time, but right now, with where they all are, it seems like a million miles away.
Hughes passed away on Thursday after succumbing to injuries he endured from a bouncer that had hit him during a Sheffield Shield match at the SCG on Tuesday, the report added.
—ANI