Sean Abbott is set to return to Sheffield Shield cricket on Tuesday as his captain Moises Henriques called for his name to be “expelled” from the tragedy of Phillip Hughes’ death
ESPNcricinfo staff07-Dec-2014Sean Abbott is set to return to Sheffield Shield cricket on Tuesday as his captain Moises Henriques called for his name to be “expelled” from the tragedy of Phillip Hughes’ death. Abbott has been named in a 12-man squad to play for New South Wales in their Shield game against Queensland at the SCG.The next round of Shield games was to start last Friday but due to Wednesday’s funeral for Hughes it was postponed to begin on Tuesday, coinciding with the start of the first Test between Australia and India in Adelaide. The return to the SCG will be an emotional one for the New South Wales side, as that was the venue at which Hughes was struck down by a bouncer nearly a fortnight ago.Abbott, the bowler who sent down that delivery, did not play grade cricket in Sydney at the weekend but Henriques said he was coping well under the circumstances. Henriques said Abbott should be treated like any other player who had lost a friend and been affected by the tragedy.”He’s coping pretty well,” Henriques told the radio programme. “I guess from our point of view as fellow players, we’re trying to expel his name from the tragedy a little bit, because in my opinion I don’t think he’s any more at fault than any other fast bowler who’s bowled a bouncer in his career.”We’re actually trying to remove his name from everything that’s happened, and just treat him as another one of the players. I think that’s how he wants to be treated – another one of the guys who went through the same thing, has lost a friend and lost someone close to them.”It frustrates me when he gets named a lot because it escalates guilt a little bit, as if he should be feeling guilt. I certainly don’t think he should be feeling guilt at all, and I guess that’s why we’d prefer just to call it ‘the bowler’, rather than ‘Sean’.”In a statement, Cricket New South Wales said that players had been given the option of withdrawing from this week’s match should they feel not ready to play. However, aside from those who have now joined the Test squad, all of the New South Wales players who took part in Hughes’ final match have been named in the 12-man squad. Henriques will captain the Blues in his first outing for the state since he injured his calf against Victoria in a one-day game on October 17.Meanwhile, South Australia also chosen a 13-man group to travel to Hobart to take on Tasmania, with Kane Richardson, Daniel Worrall and Adam Zampa having all ruled themselves out as they continue to deal with the loss of Hughes. Kelvin Smith, Cameron Valente, Sam Raphael, Kelvin Smith and Gary Putland have been included.Tom Cooper, who was batting with Hughes when he was struck at the SCG, said he would play in Hobart but had found it difficult to get over the image of Hughes being struck. “I keep replaying it,” Cooper said. “A few of the New South boys have said that as well, they keep replaying it over and over in their minds. That is one of the toughest bits.”Cooper was also Hughes’ house-mate in Adelaide and said that because Hughes was so often touring with the Australia side, his absence at home had not yet sunk in. “It’s a little bit weird because he has always been on tour, it is not un-normal for him to not be around,” Cooper said. “It hasn’t really hit home yet. I’m guessing it’s going to come and go in waves because we’re so used to him being away.”Tasmania have made one notable change for the match against South Australia, with former Test wicketkeeper Tim Paine dropped and Ben Dunk included as gloveman. Paine has had a disappointing start to the Shield campaign with only 88 runs from his six innings, while Dunk’s limited-overs start to the summer earned him a call-up to Australia’s T20 side and last week he showed his red-ball form with 215 in the Futures League.Queensland have added uncapped offspinner Cameron Brimblecombe to their squad for the match against New South Wales, while fast bowler Cameron Gannon is also in the 13-man group as a replacement for Ryan Harris, who is in the Test side. Victoria will play Western Australia in Perth and have added Marcus Stoinis, who has recovered from an ankle injury, and David Hussey to their squad, with Chris Rogers out due to Test duties.New South Wales squad Moises Henriques (capt), Sean Abbott, Doug Bollinger, Ryan Carters, Scott Henry, Nick Larkin, Nic Maddinson, Peter Nevill, Steve O’Keefe, Gurinder Sandhu, Will Somerville, Mitchell Starc.South Australia squad Johan Botha (capt), Tom Cooper, Mark Cosgrove, Callum Ferguson, Travis Head, Trent Lawford, Tim Ludeman, Joe Mennie, Gary Putland, Sam Raphael, Chadd Sayers, Kelvin Smith, Cameron Valente.Tasmania squad George Bailey (capt), Alex Doolan, Jackson Bird, Ed Cowan, Xavier Doherty, Ben Dunk, James Faulkner, Andrew Fekete, Ben Hilfenhaus, Sam Rainbird, Jordan Silk, Jon Wells.Queensland squad James Hopes (capt), Cameron Boyce, Cameron Brimblecombe, Joe Burns, Ben Cutting, Luke Feldman, Peter Forrest, Cameron Gannon, Peter George, Chris Hartley, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Reardon.Victoria squad Matthew Wade (capt), Fawad Ahmed, Scott Boland, Daniel Christian, Aaron Finch, Peter Handscomb, John Hastings, David Hussey, Glenn Maxwell, Rob Quiney, Marcus Stoinis, Chris Tremain, Cameron White.
