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THE public will be able to pay its respect to Phillip Hughes at a state memorial service at the SCG.
NSW Premier Mike Baird has announced the service will take place on a date to be confirmed.
“This service has been arranged in consultationwith Phillip’s family, and it will be an opportunity for the entire community to pay their respects to a much-loved Australian and New South Welshman,” Mr Baird said.
Meanwhile, cricket players, fans and members of the public have continued their outpouring of grief after the 25- year-old died in Sydney’s St Vincent’s Hospital on Thursday, two days after being struck by a bouncer at the SCG.
At the Moore Park sporting complex, the electronic billboard out the front simply read “RIP Phillip Hughes”.
The Australian flag flew at half-mast, flowers were placed outside the Cricket NSW headquarters by well-wishers and a row of commemorative bats were resting against the members’ entrance gate.
Self-described cricket tragic Natan Rutstein said he felt “gutted” when he heard of the player’s death.
“I’d feel hollow if I hadn’t actually gone and visited,” the Pagewood local said through tears.
“It’s just not the way it’s supposed to be.”
The row of commemorative bats is a part of the swelling #putoutyourbats campaign which involves people leaving their favourite willow outside their homes or offices.
At Cricket Australia headquarters in Melbourne, 63 bats — one for each of the runs Hughes had reached when he was hit on Tuesday — lined the office front window.
Sporting clubs, schools, fellow cricketers and average punters alike took to Twitter and Instagram to pay homage.
Cricket luminaries Viv Richards, Steve Smith, Adam Gilchrist and Dean Jones were just a few to take part in the online campaign, as did several clubs from across the football codes.
A row of yellow bats were lined up outside Macksville Public School in Hughes’ home town on the mid-north coast.
CA has recommended community cricket clubs observe a minute’s silence before each day’s play over the weekend.
Players were asked to wear black armbands.
South Australian Cricket Association chief Keith Bradshaw said Hughes’ teammates were devastated and it was hard to see the organisation returning to normality anytime soon.
