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Australia retire Phillip Hughes' jersey number 64

Cricket Australia retires Phillip Hughes' one-day international jersey number of 64 as a tribute to the batsman. Australia captain, Michael Clarke on Saturday confirmed that CA has agreed to their request to retire the number.

Australia retire Phillip Hughes' jersey number 64

New Delhi: Cricket Australia retires Phillip Hughes' one-day international jersey number of 64 as a tribute to the batsman. Australia captain, Michael Clarke on Saturday confirmed that CA has agreed to their request to retire the number.

"Last night, I asked Cricket Australia if Hughesy’s Australian one-day international shirt number, 64, could be retired, to which they agreed. That means so much. His legacy of trying to improve each and every day will drive us for the rest of our lives," a tearful Clarke said at a press conference.

Hughes, who was to celebrate his 26th birthday tomorrow died on Thursday, two days after he was hit on the neck by a bouncer from the New South Wales paceman Sean Abbott during a Sheffield Shield match in Sydney Cricket Ground.

The tragedy left the nation and cricketing world in mourning. The scheduled first Test match between the visiting Indian team and Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy has also been postponed. The five-day match was slated to begin on December 4 at Gabba.

Speaking on behalf of the Australian team and the support staff, Clarke said, “Words can not express the loss we all feel as a team right now. To Greg, Virginia (his parents), Jason and Megan (his siblings) we share the deep pain that you’re feeling... Our dressing room will never be the same, we loved him and always will.”

Hughes, who made his Test debut against Australia at Johannesburg in 2006, played 26 matches. In a promising short-lived career, the left-handed batsman scored three centuries and seven fifties, at an average of 32.65.

He also made played 25 ODI matches for Australia, scoring two centuries and four fifties at an average of 35.91.

Clarke hailed Hughes as the perfect embodiment of Baggy Green spirit, “We’re going to miss that cheeky grin and that twinkle in his eye. He epitomised what that Baggy Green is about and what it meant to us all.”

The Australian captain also comforted the bereaved family and said they will everything to honour Hughes' memory.

“The world lost one of its great blokes this week and we are all the poorer for it. Our promise to Hughesy’s family is that we will do everything we can to honour his memory.” 

With agency inputs