The sporting world has been thrown into a state of shock after it was announced on Thursday morning that Australian batsman Phil Hughes had died after suffering a severe head injury in a domestic cricket match.

Hughes was struck on the back left side of his head by a bouncer from Sean Abbott in a Sheffield Shield match between South Australia and New South Wales. The 25-year-old initially staggered before collapsing on the Sydney Cricket Ground pitch, and it has since been revealed that he suffered a ruptured artery that led to his fatality.