The Baggy Green Cap 408 is now history. It belonged to someone who was humble, kind and generous. He was an artist whose inimitable bold brush strokes made Australian cricketing canvas look bright and dazzling.
But, on Thursday the artist walked into a silent land where no one can go with him hand in hand.
The cricketing world has come to a standstill; cricketers are left in a state of shock and fans across the globe are mourning the death of Australian cricketer Phil Hughes.
Hughes was felled by a bouncer at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Tuesday and after a 48-hour battle, the talented southpaw who had the world at his feet breathed his last.
The phrase, "for the love of the game” is referred to the passion that athletes have for the sport they play. Far away from the playing arena, the usual impression created in one's mind is that of sportspersons spending most of their time honing their skills, often sacrificing life's simple joys.
No matter whom they represent - club or nation, every athlete plays the sport to win. But, despite such dedication, the very saying "for the love of the game" isn't uttered to refer to athletes who have lost their lives while playing the sport they love.
Sadly, encountering death while playing a sport is an unfortunate fate. And when Hughes collapsed on Tuesday afternoon, the world had only hoped he cover-drives death away and springs back to life. However, with just three days shy of his 26th birthday, the world was left devastated as both a nation and the game lost a dear son.
His friend, Alan Jones said that Hughes had wished to score his 26th first-class century to coincide with his 26th birthday. Alas it was not to be...
Australia is heartbroken. The showstopper is no more.
Rarely has cricket united hearts. But on the saddest day, players across nations shared the pain, cried in sorrow as a pall of gloom descended on the cricketing world.
It wasn't the first ever bouncer bowled in the history of the game. The likes of Mike Gatting (Nose broken), Andy Lloyd (Hit in the temple), Rick McCosker (Broken jaw), Nari Contractor (Skull fracture), Ahmed Shehzad (Skull fracture) had serious injuries but recovered after undergoing surgeries.
Even Hughes was expected to come back. Everyone thought it was a matter of time. But little did the world knew that Hughes was running out of time.
The blow to head is not new and can happen to any cricketer. A pull and a miss. Timing was the key. But Hughes was just a fraction late and that meant it was too late. When the clock stopped at the SCG, the scorecard showed Hughes was unbeaten on 63 and Hughes will forever remain so.
The news came as a bolt from the blue as twitter was flooded with condolence messages. And while the entire world is still weeping, another young man is in a complete state of distress.
In 1975, England's Peter Lever almost killed New Zealand's Ewen Chatfield. After Chatfield was brought back to life, Lever said, "I felt sick and ashamed at what I had done, and all I could think when I got back to the pavilion was that I wanted to retire."
If Lever could feel that, imagine what Abbott must be feeling now. We can't, none of us can. He must have been broken, inconsolable.
Just a month ago, both Hughes and Abbott made their T20 debut together in Dubai against Pakistan. They shared the same dressing room, shared high-fives. Each one plied their own trade. Hughes with the bat and Abbott with the ball.
After six weeks, both Hughes and Abbott were back to the same business. Although, this time they were pitted against each other, they were out in the middle doing what they both love to. Playing cricket.
But catastrophically, a single delivery shook the world, with Hughes leaving the world with a task to fulfill. To take care of Abbott. He did no wrong. He is not guilty. He is not at fault. Neither of them were.
Cricket lovers are left mourning the loss of Hughes, Abbott is left with a double blow to deal with - to come in terms with the loss of his dear friend and to survive from the nightmarish replays of that one single delivery which will haunt him for the rest of his life.
From Michael Clarke to Ricky Ponting, the whole of the Australian side stood beside Hughes bedside with a prayer on the lips. The players were hoping for a miracle.
They all joined hands, stood by each other, kept vigil on their dear Hughesy but alas this time the little champion couldn't hang around, the battle was lost.
Soon flags flew at half-mast at cricket grounds in Australia, a day's play between Pakistan and New Zealand was suspended, well wishers left bouquets, players bowed heads in prayer and tears welled the eyes of Australian players who filed out of the hospital after bidding farewell to their beloved team-mate.
The journey of a young man who became the youngest to score a century in each innings of a Test has ended. It's time for his family to gather strength and spend the rest of their lives with fond memories as the pallbearers will soon carry the coffin of 25-year-old Phillip Joel Hughes.
Cricket, sometimes, is cruel.
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