Six cricketers who tragically passed away on the cricket field, showcasing the unexpected nature of life and the impact these losses had on the sport and its fans. Their memories continue to resonate within the cricketing community.
1. Wasim Raja | 1952-2006 (Pakistan)
Wasim Raja, a dynamic left-handed batsman from Pakistan and the brother of renowned commentator Ramiz Raja, represented his country in 57 Tests and 54 One-Day Internationals over a distinguished 12-year career from 1973 to 1985. Tragically, he passed away in August 2006 after suffering a cardiac arrest while playing for the Surrey over-50s team in England.
2. Philip Hughes | 1988-2014 (Australia)
The talented 25-year-old left-handed batsman from Australia, Philip Hughes met a premature end in November 2014 after he was struck on his neck by a sharp bumper from pacer Sean Abbott during a Sheffield Shield fixture.
Hughes immediately collapsed on the field, and was rushed to the hospital, where it came to light that the southpaw had fractured his skull and suffered massive bleeding in his brain.
Despite the best efforts from medical professionals and prayers of millions of people from all around the world, young Phil eventually succumbed to his injuries two days later.
3. Richard Beaumont | 1979-2012 (England)
On 5th August 2012, English club cricketer Richard Beaumont was enjoying a fantastic day, having just taken a five-wicket haul against the Astwood Bank Cricket Club. However, tragedy struck moments later when he suffered a massive stroke and collapsed on the field. He was quickly transported to Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital but was sadly pronounced dead upon arrival.
4. Raman Lamba | 1960-1988 (India)
The untimely death of former international cricketer Raman Lamba stands as one of the most heartbreaking tales in Indian cricket history. Lamba, who played for Team India in 4 Tests and 32 ODIs from 1986 to 1989, tragically lost his life during a club match in Dhaka when he was hit on the head while fielding at silly point without a helmet. He fell into a coma three days later and was ultimately declared dead.
5. Darryn Randall | 1980-2013 (South Africa)
Just a year before Australian cricketer Phil Hughes passed away after being struck on his neck by a sharp bumper from Sean Abbott, a similar sort of incident happened in South Africa to former keeper-batsman, Darryn Randall.
Randall, a wicketkeeper-batsman from East London, suffered a fatal incident on 27th October 2013 after he missed an attempted pull, and was struck on the side of his head by a sharp bumper during a Border League match in Eastern Cape. Randall died immediately because of the impact to his head.
6. Ian Folley | 1963-1993 (England)
Ian Folley was yet another English domestic cricketer whose career ended tragically while he was playing on the field.
Having taken 287 first-class wickets, Folley was batting for Whitehaven Cricket Club against Workington in the summer of 1993 when he was struck by a ball beneath his eye.
He was swiftly taken to the hospital for eye surgery, but unfortunately, he suffered a fatal heart attack while under anesthesia.