Phillip Hughes tragedy: Mike Atherton reacts to news and answers questions on player safety

Mike Atherton says Phillip Hughes was fascinating to watch and wonders what his tragic death means for player safety.

Hughes died on Thursday, two days after being struck by a short delivery during a Sheffield Shield match between New South Wales and South Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground - he was 25.

Atherton feels cricket remains a safe game but admits it is tough to think about the future so soon after the tragic news was received.

"He was a fascinating player to watch," Atherton told Sky Sports News HQ. "A kind of classic Aussie batsman from the Outback really, with a rustic technique but with a desire to hit the ball and play aggressively.

"I always enjoyed watching him play and it's desperate news to wake up to this morning.

I suppose the first thing to say is that it's an incredibly safe game. That might sound an odd thing to say when a young man has died on the field but fundamentally it's a safe game.

"It will take time (for Australia to recover). There will be counselling on hand for team-mates, and spare a thought for Sean Abbott in all this as he will be feeling desperate.

"It's a fairly small cricket community in Australia - we have 18 counties over here but they have only seven state teams with quite a lot of movement. Phillip himself moved from New South Wales to South Australia so it's a tight-knit community.

"Just looking at the comments yesterday and this morning gives you an idea of the type of bloke he was thought of in Australia."

Although it is difficult to look to the future so soon after the tragedy, Atherton is sure batsmen around the world - both in the professional and recreational game - will take safety far more seriously.

"That (safety) will be the focus in the coming days but I suppose the first thing to say is that it's an incredibly safe game. That might sound an odd thing to say when a young man has died on the field but fundamentally it's a safe game.

"Obviously players take precautions but what I think it will do is shake batsmen in particular out of what might have been complacency.

"Myself, I wore the same helmet for 10 years and if I got clonked on it, I didn't change it. I know the manufacturers say you must but I never did. I didn't give the helmet much thought really.

"If there is that kind of complacency people will shaken out of that. I speak as the father of a 12-year-old boy and I will be making sure his helmet is top notch, up to scratch and the top model. But fundamentally it's a safe game with risk attached, as there is in anything you do in life.