Speed Reads
Australian cricket star Phillip Hughes died Thursday in a Sydney hospital two days after being struck in the head by a ball. He was 25.
Fellow players reacted with disbelief around the world — Hughes had played in dozens of international matches for Australia's national team. The freak accident renewed a debate over safety in Australia's national sport. It is not uncommon for cricket players, who wear protective pads and helmets, to be hit by balls, but the incidents are rarely fatal. --Harold Maass