David Lawrence fears a distraught Sean Abbott might quit cricket

Former England fast bowler David Lawrence fears Sean Abbott will never play cricket again after Phillip Hughes died from the injuries he sustained facing him in a Sheffield Shield match.

Hughes was struck on the neck by a short-pitched delivery from the 22-year-old at the Sydney Cricket Ground, hit in an area unprotected by his helmet as he attempted a hook shot.

Lawrence is uniquely qualified to empathise with Abbott as he struck West Indies batsman Phil Simmons - who was not wearing a helmet - on the head when playing for Gloucestershire in a tour match back in 1988.

My thoughts go out to him because whether he will come back from this or not, personally I don't think he'll play cricket again.

Simmons was rushed to hospital, and had emergency brain surgery, but unlike Hughes he was out of hospital just over a week later, made a full recovery and had a glittering international career.

"He collapsed. They rushed him to hospital, and were able to save his life and take a blood clot off his brain - and he subsequently went on to play again," Lawrence told BBC World News.

Comfort

"What gave me comfort was I was able to see Phil Simmons 48 hours after, and he was able to tell me it wasn't my fault.

"The bowler in this instance wouldn't have been able to do that. Hughes didn't make a recovery, wasn't able to talk to him.

"So my thoughts go out to him as well because whether he will come back from this or not, personally I don't think he'll play cricket again."

Despite those comments, Lawrence does not want to see short-pitched bowling disappear from the sport.

He added: "I don't think any fast bowler walks out there, looking to inflict danger on someone, or for them to end up in hospital, and lose their life.

"It's a part of the game. You use it to 'rough up' a batsman, make him feel unsettled, and then you look possibly to pitch the ball up. I wouldn't like to see that taken away from the game."