Cricketers who died while playing cricket

Cricket is among the most popular sports in the world due to the entertainment and thrill involved in it. It provides livelihood to many budding cricketers like other sports. Apart from its entertainment side, it has witnessed some tragic incidents on the field.

There have been incidents in the past where cricketers have died while playing the sport on the field sending shock waves globally. In this piece, we point out the incidents that took the lives of the cricketers on the cricket field. We take a look at 10 cricketers who died while playing the sport:

1. Phillip Hughes

Hughes was one of the brightest of cricketers in Australian cricket during that time but the left-hander lost his life quite early. On the 25th of November 2014, the left-hander was batting for South Australia against New South Wales in a Sheffield Shield game.

Sean Abbott bowled a bouncer that hit Hughes on the neck just below his ear that caused vertebral artery dissection which ultimately led to hemorrhage. He was in a coma for two days and passed away on the 27th of November 2014.

2. Raman Lamba

Raman’s death sent shockwaves through the entire cricketing world. While playing in the Bangladesh Cricket League, Raman was fielding at forward short leg. He was hit on the temporal bone while fielding. The batsman who hit the shot was Mehrab Hossain. Due to an internal hemorrhage, Lamba went into a coma but later expired on the 23rd of February 1998. He played 4 Tests and 32 ODIs for India.

3. Raymond Van Schoor

The Namibian batsman might be an unfamiliar figure for many but Schoor played for Namibia in more than 200 games making him the most capped player for his country. In November 2015 while Raymond suffered a heart stroke while playing for Free State at the Wanderers stadium in South Africa and passed away at the young age of 25. His death shocked the entire Namibia.

4. Abdul Aziz

Abdul Aziz would have finished his career on a high had he completed his cricketing career but unfortunately the talented Pakistani batsman died at the very tender age of 17. In January 1959 while playing against the Pakistan Combined Services in the Quaid e Azam trophy he was hit above the heart by a delivery from leg-break bowler Dildar Awan. Aziz fell on the ground and while he was being taken to the hospital he died mid-way.

5. Daryll Randall

Randall’s death shocked the entire cricketing world. Randall was playing for Old Selborians against Fore Hare University in a Border Cricket Board League match at Alice in the Easter Cape. The right-handed batsman was also an occasional wicket-keeper. In this match, he was hit by a bouncer from a bowler on the head as he tried to pull the ball. The South African batsman died within seconds after being hit on 27th October 2013 at the age of 33.

Read More: Ranking top 10 best T20 cricket leagues in the world

6. Ian Folley

Ian Folley was a left-arm medium pacer and right-handed batsman. The English cricketer while batting for Whitehaven against Workington was hit under his eye and was immediately taken to the nearest hospital where he was operated on for a damaged eyeball. During anesthesia, he suffered a heart attack and passed away immediately at the age of 30 on 30th August 1993.

7. Ankit Keshari

The talented right-hander played for West Bengal and was one of the most talented batsmen in India’s domestic circuit during the period. While fielding at sweeper cover Ankit ran to take a catch but due to a collision with teammate Sourav Mondal. The incident happened during a match between Bhawanipore Club and East Bengal at the Salt Lake ground. After the collision, Keshari fell unconscious due to bleeding. The 20-year-old gained consciousness after treatment for some time but passed away due to a cardiac arrest on 20th April 2015.

8. Wasim Raja

Elder brother of former Pakistani cricketer and commentator Ramiz Raja, Wasim Raja played for the national side in Tests as well as ODIs. He passed away on the 23rd of August 2006 at the age of 54 in England while playing for English county side Surrey in a friendly game. He felt uneasy while fielding and when he was leaving the ground he fell at the boundary. He passed away due to a heart attack.

9. Zulfiqar Bhatti

Bhatti would have been the next big thing in Pakistan cricket had he been alive. The 22-year-old was playing Sindh Young Cricket Club against Super Star Cricket Club. While batting he attempted a pull shot but the ball hit the chest and the batsman immediately collapsed on the field. He was taken to the nearest hospital but he died as soon as he was admitted.

10. Richard Beaumont

No one thought that Richard Beaumont’s family would suffer such a shock. The 33-year-old was playing for Pedmore Cricket Club’s first team against Astwood Bank CC on the 4th of August 2012. He registered his best bowling figures of 5/33. Suddenly while playing he felt uneasy and fell on the ground. He was taken to the nearest hospital where he was announced dead just after his arrival. The cause of the death was cardiac arrest.

Read More: Top 10 Highest-Paid Cricketers in the World by Salary