Cricketers who left us too soon: Heart-wrenching moments in cricket that made us cry

Phil Hughes. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Representing the country on the global level is a proud moment. In cricket, the players win matches with the bat, ball or fielding, and as a reward, a trophy as a player of the match is duly given to mark their important contribution to the game. Hence, it is almost like a guarantee that people do acknowledge good performances produced by them from time to time.

As human beings, we don’t know what will happen when we can only do our best at that time. We remember greats like Shane Warne and Andrew Symonds who recently passed away but left behind a mammoth number of good performances which will forever be etched in the minds of the beloved fans of the game. 

Even though the circle of life shows that we are born one day, we are bound to leave the world one day. But it is these memorable performances and the larger-than-life characters in the game that make it more entertaining and personal for a cricket aficionado. Hence, when some of these most talented cricketers bid adieu to the world, every fan was of the opinion that they left us way too soon leaving a big void in the growth of the game.

In the same vein, below are some notable cricketers who left the world too soon:

 

1. Phil Hughes (Age 25, Australia)

Phil Hughes. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Phil Hughes, the opening batter from Australia was just 25 years old when he passed away. A player who was privileged to have played all forms of the game for the country and was forecasted as a future prospect in the Australian team due to his talent. It was because of his ability to score big runs that generated interest for him in English Counties but also for the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Hughes was a talented left-hand batter who had Test and ODI centuries to his name. His experience in county cricket allowed his technique and style to be a slicer and slasher, and not the typical textbook style. This technique paved the way to success only in his 2nd Test against South Africa, in Durban, where he scored a magnificent century against world-class bowlers in the likes of Steyn, Ntini, Morkel, and Kallis.

In 2014, Hughes’s life ended abruptly in a Sheffield Sheild game where he was struck by a ruthless bouncer. Thereafter, he never regained consciousness from the blow which became one of the world’s saddest moments in the game. His funeral was attended by many, and condolence messages poured in globally from the cricket community. 

2. Runako Morton (Age 33, West Indies)

Runako Morton West Indies. (Photo Source: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

A career which was plagued with controversies which limited his career with the West Indies. Runako Morton’s cricket career spanned eight years, where he had played all forms of the game. A right-hand batter whose life was cut short when he passed away in 2012 in a horrific car crash. He was only 33 years old and surely, he never fully showed his potential as a batter. 

Morton’s career was fairly long but his stats depict a different story. Due to various controversies in his life, he only played 15 tests, 56 ODIs and 7 T20Is, respectively. His regular appearances vouch for his batting talent, but other reasons kept him away from the game. As a result, his luck eventually ran out in 2010 when he last represented the West Indies.

Morton’s last first-class match was in 2011, but it was 2012 which saw the sad death of Runako Morton in a car crash. He was driving on the highway where he suddenly lost control of his car and eventually crashed into a pole. Tributes came in from Kevin Pietersen, and Chris Gayle under notable figures for Morton.

 

3. Ben Hollioake (Age 24, England)

Ben Hollioake England. (Photo Source: Patrick Eagar/Popperfoto via Getty Images/Getty Images)

A promising all-rounder who had plenty to offer for England and Surrey, but a road accident ended his life at just 24 years old in 2002. Having made his Test debut in the 1997 ODIs vs. Australia and then consequently the 1997 Ashes, Ben impressed all by taking wickets and making good contributions with the bat on a consistent note.

Ben made his debut for England at a time when decisions were not their management’s best quality but they took Ben in due to his style. He started well in ODIs by scoring 50s against Australia and then went on to make his debut in the fifth Ashes Test along with his brother Adam. Ben was the stylish player England needed at that time and making runs of McGrath was one of the most joyful memories of his career.

Unfortunately, Ben passed away in a road accident in 2002, while in Australia. It was rainy weather which led to his car not having a grip and consequently driving into a wall. Ben left a legacy behind, where his family established the Ben Hollioake Fund to raise funds for children.

4. Manjural Islam Rana (Age 22, Bangladesh)

Manjural Islam Bangladesh. (Photo Source: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

A very young promising batsman for Bangladesh who unfortunately passed away in 2007 in a motorcycle crash. Manjural set his sail in ODIs where his handy runs and wickets allowed him to chip away at the opposition. It was quite typical of the cricketers Bangladesh produced that Manjural had similar qualities of a Shakib and Mehedy. Given time, Manjural would have flourished ahead.

Manjural had a good start to his ODI career. Taking wickets and often being Bangaldesh’s best batter made him a bankable player. He chipped away at the wickets and his versatility in the team often promoted him to bat at various positions. He didn’t play many games but given the time, he would’ve been an integral part of their ODI team and T20 team in the future. 

He passed away in 2007 in a motorcycle accident in Bangladesh, where he collided with a minibus and then hit an electrical pole. It was a sad end to his life which was very short-lived. He passed away at the age of 22.

5. Tom Maynard (Age 23, England)

Tom Maynard. (Photo Source: Paul Gilham/Getty Images)

Tom Maynard may never have played for England, but he was on the radar to make his potential England debut. Tom impressed all while playing for Surrey with his batting and one day would’ve been playing for England like his father Matthew once did. Tom passed away at the young age of 23 in 2012.

Tom was a right-handed batter who was tipped as a future England international after eventually putting in solid performances with that bat. After his move to Surrey, his batting average improved a lot and he was proving himself as a T20 player as well. England were in a batting transition with management looking for replacements for Pietersen, Bell and Trott.

Tom passed away at age 23, in South London, where postmortem results showed he was over the UK legal drinking limit and was high due to taking banned substances. He fled from his car after being stopped by police and then was struck by a tube train soon after. The cause of the death whether he was electrocuted or the impact of the tube hitting him was unknown.

 

6. Malcolm Marshall (Age 41, West Indies)

Malcolm Marshall. (Photo Source: ob Thomas Sports Photography via Getty Images)

Arguably one of the world cricket’s finest ever bowlers and a vital part of the fearsome West Indies bowling pack during his era, Malcolm Marshall still intrigues the cricket experts and fans alike as didn’t have a good height for a pacer. While some also argue that his action could’ve been better. But none of that stopped him from being a lethal fast bowler who will forever be remembered in the batter’s mind. Malcolm passed away, aged 41, back in 1999.

Marshall was part of the famous West Indian bowling lineup which decimated batters for many years. He claimed 376 Test wickets and 157 ODI wickets, respectively. His average and strike rate were up there with the best and even to this day, not many fast bowlers can match Marshall’s figures. He was also quite handy with the bat as he scored 10 half-centuries in Test cricket.

Although Malcolm Marshall retired in 1992, there was plenty more he could have offered. The West Indian passed due to Cancer. It was revealed in 1999 that he had cancer and after an unsuccessful operation, his body couldn’t cope with the aftermath of the surgery, and sadly left the world. The true champion left behind a legacy that any cricketer let alone fast bowler would be envious to have.

7. Hansie Cronje (Age 32, South Africa)

Hansie Cronje SAF. (Photo Source: Ross Setford/Getty Images)

One of South Africa’s finest players and captains in their cricket history along with being a hero in many people’s eyes, was often regarded as the template for young South African boys. Hansie Cronje could do it all, bat, bowl, field, and captain. An absolute match winner but at age 32, Hansie tragically died in a plane crash a few years after receiving a life ban for the match-fixing scandal that rocked the cricket world.

Speaking of his marvellous career, Cronje was in complete control of the South African team in the 1990s. His ODI and Test stats were very good and his calm composure was great at managing the team. What made him different to others was he always added something to the game. Whether it was his medium-pace bowling that fetched him over 100 wickets in ODIs or the fact that his winning stats as a captain were outstanding.

To add to all of this, he made over 5000 ODI runs and over 3700 test runs. 

His life came to a halt after he was found guilty of match-fixing. Hansie Cronje died in 2002 on a flight way back home, where the two pilots lost visibility in the clouds and eventually, the plane crashed. 

8. Laurie Williams (Age 33, West Indies)

Laurie Williams. (Photo Source: David Munden/Popperfoto via Getty Images/Getty Images)

A West Indian cricketer who died in 2002, was only aged 33. Laurie had plenty of success in first-class cricket but only played a few ODI games for West Indies from 1996 -2001. A right-arm medium-fast bowler, Laurie did well in the 15 ODIs he played. Notably, Laurie was driving a car when he had to swerve due to a damaged road on his side, but in the process, he crashed into an oncoming bus.

Speaking of Laurie’s career, the West Indian got 18 wickets and made 124 runs from his 15 ODI appearances. His best bowling figures were 3/16 and his highest ODI score was 41. His bowling was made for seam and swing conditions, where in contrast to his peers at the time, they were predominantly fast bowlers.