17-year-old Ben Austin tragically passes away:Teen cricketer dies after being hit by ball on the neck; IND-AUS wear black armbands to pay tribute

Another heartbreaking incident shocked the cricketing world as 17-year-old Australian cricketer Ben Austin lost his life after being struck on the neck while training. Ben was practising in nets at the Ferntree Gully Cricket Club in Melbourne. Notably, the incident has evoked widespread grief in the cricketing world, reminding it of the tragic passing of Phillip Hughes in 2014. The Australian cricketer also died while playing in the Sheffield Shield when a ball hit his neck, resulting in his death. Ben’s tragic loss also happened similarly despite the best treatment provided to the teen. Meanwhile, India, Australia wore black armbands to pay tribute in the Women’s World Cup 2025 semi-final. What exactly happened? Austin was practising with a helmet in nets while facing a ball from a thrower using a handheld device. However, he was playing reportedly without a neck guard when he was hit by a delivery. Although he was immediately rushed by the emergency workers around 5 PM, he could not survive despite being put on a ventilator. Also Read| Former IPL physio says Shreyas Iyer might be ruled out of remainder of 2025 The Ferntree Gully Cricket Club confirmed the tragic news through a Facebook post and urged fans to place their bats outside in Austin’s memory, a gesture reminiscent of the tribute paid to Phil Hughes when he passed away in 2014. IND-AUS tribute Austin with black armband in semi-final match To pay tribute to Ben Austin, both Australia and India women’s teams wore black armbands during the second semi-final of the Women’s World Cup being played in Navi Mumbai. In men’s cricket, a tribute will also be given to Ben during the second T20 match between Australia and India in Melbourne on Friday. Cricketing community mourns the loss of 17-year-old Former England captain Kevin Pietersen posted on X to mourn the loss of Ben Austin with the following message: After the Ferntree Gully Cricket Club, Cricket Australia also paid tribute to the young batter: Lucknow Super Giants reacted to the tragic incident as the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise also mourned the loss of the teen cricketer. Cricket Australia said on X, “Vale Ben Austin. Cricket Australia is devastated at the passing of 17-year-old Melbourne cricketer Ben Austin following an accident while batting in the nets on Tuesday night.” Cricket Victoria CEO Nick Cummins added: “The ball hit him in the neck in a similar accident that Phil Hughes suffered 10 years ago … The entire cricketing community in Victoria – and nationally – is mourning this loss, and it will be something that will stay with us for a long time. It is heartbreaking to see a young life cut so short, while Ben was doing something that he loved so much.” Also Read| Why Rohit got late success in cricket?: Became no. 1 ODI batter at age of 38 Sheffield Shield players honour the young cricketer As a mark of respect, several players in the ongoing Sheffield Shield round wore black armbands to honour the young cricketer’s memory. Ben’s father, Jace Austin, spoke on the family’s loss: “For Tracey and I, Ben was an adored son, deeply loved brother to Cooper and Zach and a shining light in the lives of our family and friends. This tragedy has taken Ben from us, but we find some comfort that he was doing something he did for so many summers – going down to the nets with mates to play cricket. He loved cricket and it was one of the joys of his life,” as per Wisden. Once again, the following of protocols and the safety of cricket equipment has gained the spotlight. But it’s worth noting that Ben hadn’t worn the neck guard while practising, so it is more of an accident rather than a malfunction of any equipment.