Hughes was on path to greatness despite selection woes

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Hughes was on path to greatness despite selection woes

Usman Khawaja has led a chorus of calls questioning the multiple axings of Phillip Hughes as *********** Test opener, some even maintaining the late cricketer was better than Steve Smith.

Released on Friday night, the heartfelt hour-long Cricket Australia documentary “The Boy from Macksville” explores the life of Hughes and his rising trajectory until his shock death in 2014.

Hughes’s family spoke publicly for the first time in years, with his sister Megan detailing how her brother’s legacy lives on in his Four 0 Eight cattle farm on the NSW north coast.

The batter’s father Greg also suggests he could have retired at age 28 to move back to the property, such was the cricketer’s passion for the farm that is still run today.

But the overarching theme remains the potential of Hughes, and the path he was on before he was struck in the neck while batting in November 2014.

“At that point in time he is the same age as Steve Smith and a couple of years younger than Dave Warner,” former teammate Ed Cowan said in the documentary.

“Who is the best cricketer of those three? Phil Hughes by far.”

In a stop-start Test career prior to his death, Hughes was dropped four times in a five-and-a-half-year *******.

His first axing came just three Tests after he became the youngest player in history to score twin tons against South Africa.

“Selectors at that time were horrible,” Khawaja said in the documentary.

“Let’s be clear on that. I just could not believe they dropped him at that time. The most short-sighted thinking.

“(They’d say) ‘His technique is not up to standard’.

“What do you mean his technique is not? He has scored the most runs out of anyone in the world right now in the last year.”

Justin Langer also claims he was “incredibly disappointed” at the time, while Simon Katich labelled it as “brutal”.

Hughes regained his spot twice in 2010 and 2011, scored a century in Sri Lanka, but was dropped again four Tests later after edging off to Chris Martin in four straight innings.

“It was two Tests against New Zealand, we’ve got another four coming up against India,” Khawaja said.

“It is like: put that aside selectors. Yes one bowler had him, but just let it go. He is a future hall-of-famer.”

Hughes was dropped for a final time in the 2013 Ashes, one Test after hitting a crucial 81no alongside Ashton Agar in Cardiff.

“He was probably the one who for some reason always got dropped first,” Matt Wade said.

Cowan adds: “It just didn’t quite feel right. It’s probably the first time I’d seen him bitterly disappointed with selection.”

Hughes appeared set to earn another recall to Australia’s Test team to face India in 2014-15, before he was hit while on 63no for South Australia against NSW.

He was taken to hospital, but never recovered.

“I have a text from him on that day, and he said they won’t get me out today,” Hughes’s manager James Henderson said.

“And they didn’t.”

Hughes’ death, just days before his 26th birthday, remains one of the toughest days in *********** sport this century.

“He was still only a kid,” Wade said.

“He played enough international cricket that he knew what he needed to do.

“It was only a matter of time until he locked into a spot and he played 100 Tests.”

Hughes’s mark of 26 first-class centuries before his 26th birthday sits only second to Ricky Ponting of all Australians.

“When I watched him play for South Australia, I was just like man this guy is so good,” Khawaja said.

“I put him above Steve Smith at the time, this guy was the pinnacle.

“He was ready to thrive. Just before he passed away, Phillip Hughes was on an absolute heater.”

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