Yorkshire’s Jason Gillespie in tribute to batsman Phillip Hughes

Hughes was hit on the side of the neck near the base of the skull by a short delivery from Sean Abbott while playing for South Australia against New South Wales in Sydney on Tuesday.

Hughes was pronounced dead in the early hours of this morning UK time.

Gillespie, the former Australia pace bowler and current Yorkshire first team coach, said: “It’s truly heart-breaking what has happened and it is still hard to understand how his friends and family are coming to terms with his sad loss.

“You have to understand that a lot of the lads that he played with, when the incident happened in Sydney earlier this week, have grown up playing cricket together and it will be a tough time for them.

“From over here in the UK it is very hard to comprehend how they’re feeling.”

Gillespie, who played 71 Tests for Australia and steered Yorkshire to the County Championship title last summer, also said he felt desperately sorry for Abbott, the young New South Wales pace bowler.

“We are all really feeling for Abbott right now,” said Gillespie.

“This is a young lad who is 22 years of age, just running in and doing his job.

“This is the last thing you would expect to happen on a cricket field and he was bowling to one of his mates as well.”