KINGSTON, St.Vincent, CMC-Opening batsman for Barbados Pride Omar Phillips said he feared for his life after he was struck on his head and lost consciousness against Windward Island Volcanoes in the fourth round of the WICB Professional Cricket League (PCL).
Phillips was forced to retire hurt for 38 during the first day of the match Friday, after being hit in the head while at the non-strikers end, from a ball powerfully driven by his batting partner Shai Hope.
Phillips, who regained consciousness after he was rushed to the Milton Kato Memorial Hospital, in Kingstown, said he kept thinking about Phillip Hughes, the Australia cricketer who died after he was struck by a bouncer last month.
“It has been a difficult situation for me in terms of having a seen a cricketer die of a similar injury,” Phillips told ESPNCricnfo.
“So that had been kind of bothered me at first.”
The ball struck the left handed batsman at the bottom right of the rear of the helmet.
The incident occurred just before lunch on the opening day of the match between Windwards and Barbados.
Doctors, having carried out tests and scans, declared Phillips was safe and had suffered concussion.
“I don’t really remember what happened after I got struck. All I remember was waking up at the hospital,” he recalled.
“At that time I kept thinking about the whole Phil Hughes stuff. And I was kind of scared because you never know with a head injury how serious it could be.”
Five years ago, in a first division match in the domestic league in Barbados, Phillips was hit on the front of the helmet while fielding at short leg after the batsman pulled a short delivery straight into him.
In previous round of the PCL against Guyana, Phillips had his right hand injured trying to fend off a straight hit into his body while fielding at forward shortleg.
“It is not the first time I have been struck. It won’t be too hard to come back because I have done that earlier,” he said.
“You know the risk you are up against when you take the role to play as a cricketer or even as a sportsman. It is just a matter for me now to get back in the nets and get my mental game right.”