As the international cricket community continues to mourn the tragic passing of Phillip Hughes last week, the fate of the first Brisbane test match of the scheduled Australian four-test series against India remains uncertain, with speculation it could be postponed until next year.
The first test match of the series, originally scheduled to kick off in Brisbane this Thursday, has already been postponed so players can attend Phillip Hughes’s funeral on Wednesday and take some time to emotionally and mentally recover.
According to Cricket.com, Cricket Australia is still in discussions with the representative body for the players, the Australian Cricketers’ Association, as well as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and are tasked with determining what will become of the now postponed Gabba Test.
While the governing bodies are reportedly still exploring the possibility of the match being pushed back by one or two days, it is looking increasingly likely that, due to concerns for the players’ emotional stability, the test might be rescheduled for later in summer or even cancelled completely.
The latter two scenarios would mean Hughes’ adopted home of Adelaide would play host to the first test match on December 12th, and would also provide the opportunity for captain Michael Clarke – who recently delivered a heartbreakingly emotional tribute to Phillip Hughes – to return to the game from a hamstring injury and play in Australia’s first match since Hughes’ death.
Finding five days to replay the match in a packed international summer schedule is a problematic task and could involve, reports Fairfax, the reshuffling of other national and international fixtures. Potential clashes include the first one-dayer between Australia and India in Melbourne on January 16th and a BBL match between Brisbane Heat and the Sydney Sixers on January 11th.
For the time being, ticket sales for the Brisbane Test are suspended and officials say their main concern is the welfare of the players. They add that there is unprecedented cooperation between all parties involved in negotiations.
