The Australian cricketer Phil Hughes has spent a second night in an induced coma after undergoing emergency surgery on Tuesday when he was struck on the head by a short pitched delivery during a Sheffield Shield match.
Phil Hughes being taken from the Sydney Cricket Ground on a stretcher. Photo: Cricket Australia
Five days short of his 26th birthday, Hughes underwent further brain scans on Wednesday, but medical staff at Sydney's St Vincent hospital did not disclose the results.
Peter Larkins, one of Australia's leading sports physicians, says people who suffer serious injuries can remain comatose for days but can still make full recoveries.
Cricket Australia has offered counselling to players who witnessed the incident, including Sean Abbott, the paceman who bowled the bouncer that struck Hughes.
Paramedics performed mouth to mouth resuscitation on Hughes and treated him on the boundary for around 40 minutes after he was taken from the field.
Hughes fell flat on his face while batting for South Australia on the first day of their Sheffield Shield match, after being struck by a bouncer at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
The opener had scored a composed 63 off 161 balls and looked to be in good form to claim Michael Clarke's vacant Test batting spot in next week's first Test against India.
Hughes' mother and sister were in the stands at the game.
Cricket Australia has now abandoned the remaining matches in the current round of the Sheffield Shield.