Michael Clarke Reads Emotional Tribute at Phillip Hughes Funeral

Australia captain Michael Clarke delivered a touching tribute to Phillip Hughes on Wednesday as hundreds attended the funeral of the much-loved 25-year-old who lost his life last Thursday.

Clarke read an emotional tribute to Hughes, as friends and family alike said their goodbyes to the man from Macksville, New South Wales.

The Aussie skipper spoke of how he walked out onto the pitch at the Sydney Cricket Ground last Thursday, the venue where Hughes was struck by a ball in a freak accident, per Sunni Upal of the Mail Online:

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I stood there at the wicket, kneeled down and touched the grass – I swear he was with me, picking me up off my feet to check if I was OK, telling me we just needed to dig in and get through to tea. Telling me off for that loose shot that I played, chatting about what movie we might watch that night and passing on a useless fact about cows.

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He went on to deliver a powerful message about how the memory of his great pal will help preserve cricket’s status as what he believes to be the finest game in the world:

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His spirit has brought us close together. He always wanted to bring people together and he always wanted to celebrate his love for the game. From the little girl in Karachi holding a candle, to Lara and Tendulkar showing their grief. The spirit of cricket binds us all together. This is what makes our game the greatest game in the world.

Phillip’s spirit, which is now part of our game forever, will act as a custodian of the sport we all love. We must listen to it, we must cherish it, we must learn from it. We must dig in and get through to tea. And we must play on. So rest in peace my little brother. I’ll see you out in the middle.

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Here is the video of Clarke’s eulogy to Hughes in full:

Clarke, who was a pall bearer on the day, addressed an audience that included greats of the Australian game like Ricky Ponting, Shane Warne and Adam Gilchrist. In addition, West Indian legend Brian Lara also made the trip to New South Wales to say his farewell to Hughes.

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Australian cricketer Dirk Nannes paid tribute to the poignant words spoken by the nation’s captain at such a tough time:

Piers Morgan also paid his respects to Clarke’s eulogy to the 25-year-old:

Sean Abbott, the man who bowled the delivery which fatally struck Hughes, was also in attendance. Encouragingly, according to Daniel Piotrowski for Daily Mail Australia, he has returned to training with the New South Wales Blues as he looks to put this tragic episode behind him and move on with his career.

But Hughes’ memory will be perpetually etched into the Australian game and indeed, cricket across the globe.

During what has a been a wholly difficult time for the nation, Clarke's eulogy provided fitting tribute on behalf of all those associated with the Baggy Green to the life of Phillip Hughes.