The unspoken 'if only' in the death of cricketer Phillip Hughes
Australia international Phil Hughes died on Thursday, two days after being hit by a cricket ball while playing a professional match for his South Australia side in Sydney. 
Hughes made 26 Test appearances for Australia, hitting 1535 runs at an average of 32.66. 
In 2009, the 20-year-old became the youngest international cricketer to ever hit back-to-back centuries, achieving the feat against South Africa in Durban. 
Hughes, whose mother and sister were present at the Sydney Cricket Ground when he suffered his devastating blow, celebrates victory with father Greg following his Test debut with Australia in 2009. 
Hughes' international career suffered its ups and downs, with the batsman dropped during a disappointing Ashes series in England in 2009. He rebounded, most notably in 2012, and he was believed to be a week away from an international recall when playing the fateful match against former side New South Wales in November. 
Hughes was named Australia's Domestic Player of the Year in 2013. 
In January 2013, Hughes became the first Australian to make a century in his maiden one-day game. Against Sri Lanka in Melbourne, he made 112 runs from 129 balls. 
The batsman was also capable of keeping wicket, doing so in a Test match against Sri Lanka in 2012. 
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- Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes died as a result of a freakish accident
- Could it have been avoided? Only if we didn't encourage danger in sport
- Risk creates captivating unscripted theater for fans and dollars for managers
- And allows elite sportsmen to negotiate the fragile line between invincibility and fallibility
Editor's note: James Knight is an Australian journalist, documentary producer and author of 10 books, including "Brett Lee - My Life," about one of cricket's greatest fast bowlers. The views expressed here are those of the author.
Sydney (CNN) -- Impossible to explain, harder to believe.
This week a young man in the prime of his life went to work. He was the envy of many because he loved what he did, and was living a dream he'd held onto since he was a boy growing up on a farm.
He did not come home.
A wall did not fall on him, a tractor did not overturn.
Enough headlines have already told us that Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes died as a result of a freakish accident. Hit on the head by a ball delivered at about 140 kilometers an hour.
In this age of the relentless news cycle, story angles have been sharpened and pointed. Questions need to be asked. One in particular: Could the accident have been avoided?
READ: Life in cricket's fast lane
The simple answer is "Yes," but then comes the "If only."
Not just one, but a crowd of them. If only Phillip's head had been at a different angle. If only his helmet had provided greater protection. If only bouncers were banned. If only... the words are never more tormenting than at times of tragedy
CEO: No one loved cricket more than Phil 
Expert: Hughes' death an expensive lesson 
Cricketer Phil Hughes dies Somewhere, hiding behind the obvious is a deeper, much more provocative contemplation: If only we -- fans, administrators, the media and players -- didn't encourage danger in sport.
But we do.
A fast bowler firing throat balls at a squirming batsman. A quarterback blindsided into the turf. Race cars bumper-to-bumper at 150 miles an hour.
Unscripted theater
Why do we want to watch?
Because such moments are exhilarating.
For the fans it is the most captivating unscripted theater.
For the administrators it is dollars through the turnstiles, for the media it is back-slaps when the ratings come out, and for the elite athlete?
Well, he or she may not always enjoy every moment of it, but the opportunity to negotiate the fragile line between invincibility and fallibility is one of the most enticing challenges of any risk-associated sport.
Phillip Hughes knew that. He felt it too. To see him kick up his heels and punch the air when celebrating a century was not the sign of a champion who'd had an easy fight.
When cricket administrators sit down and analyze frame by excruciating frame of Phillip's last stand, they will see a picture that is much more complex than a split second of disaster.
Nowhere has this become more apparent than in the United States where the NFL has discovered that playing fields stretch well beyond the turf to the courtroom.
James Knight
Legal action by former players over concussion-related brain problems is costing the League hundreds of millions of dollars.
At the core of the issue are accusations that officials concealed the danger of concussions while encouraging players to get back on their feet and charge into the fray again.
It's what the fans wanted. It also made for good promo reels. And that of course helped the bucks roll in. Other high impact football codes across the world are taking notice. The days of smelling salts are over.
Athletes are commodities
All elite sports have their own problems.
Needles, Lance Armstrong, and the Tour de France immediately come to mind.
And so does English soccer where justice is being sought for Jeff Astle. Twelve years ago an inquest ruled that he had died from brain trauma caused by heading heavy leather balls in the 1950s through to the 70s. Across many sports, there remain many lessons to learn.
Sport is always evolving. These days, it is a multi-billion dollar industry.
Athletes are commodities, mobile billboards with marketing clauses built into their contracts. They must do what their bosses tell them. Otherwise, it's "thanks for your efforts, good luck in the future."
The pressure they face is immense. Again, Phillip Hughes knew that. He was on the brink of a recall to the Australian test team, the highest honor of his sport, his job.
Now, he will never get that chance.
It's up to all of us to decide what that really means.
from CNN.com - Top Stories http://ift.tt/1FyA5TO
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