Counselling over cricket - ACA boss

No date has been set for Australia's cricketers to go back to work as the shock created by Phillip Hughes' critical head injury evolved into widespread grief around the country on Wednesday.

Michael Clarke, Brad Haddin, Steven Smith and Shane Watson were among the visitors to St Vincent's Hospital in Darlinghurst during the day, as the only update provided by the Cricket Australia doctor Peter Brukner was that Hughes' condition remained unchanged and critical.

A suburb away at the SCG, the New South Wales team gathered for counselling and support on what should have been day two of their Sheffield Shield match against Hughes' South Australia. The Redbacks had flown home to Adelaide on Wednesday morning without Hughes, a tearful chief executive Keith Bradshaw saying the players were "completely shattered" by events.

"They are completely gutted and completely shattered," Bradshaw said. "Phil is ... Phil is a very loved and respected and admired player, he's just a terrific guy. This is just a tragic event and everyone is just devastated. He's much loved and we're just praying that he's okay. He's absolutely one of the favourites."

A similarly downcast mood was evident at CA's headquarters in Melbourne, where staff who knew Hughes personally were also able to access counselling about the episode.

Alistair Nicholson, the chief executive of the Australian Cricketers Association, said that the players' union had viewed the welfare of the Shield combatants from all states as paramount as they processed the news around Australia. As such, no discussion has been had about when cricket might resume.

"It's too early to say at this stage, not something we've discussed at the moment. Just managing the 24 hours we've had now," Nicholson said. "There's obviously a large degree of shock and the overall playing community are devastated to hear what's happened and at the moment we're wishing Phillip and his family all the best and the whole cricketing community contributing to that.

"He's obviously part of the Australian squad and both states that were involved yesterday. At end of play, there were counselling services for both teams and today they've been working through an overall plan in regards to their support through the counselling service. What that means at the moment, the best support, so they can support Phillip as well."

The decision to abandon the Shield round in its entirety was taken after CA and the ACA consulted with team leaders from each state. "Speaking to the state captains through last night and then this morning in regards to the playing groups, there were a number of players that were very shocked and devastated by what had happened," Nicholson said.

"In conjunction with Cricket Australia eventually made the decision not to play and I think that was the right decision. Players are going home where it's relevant and to be looked after in their states and by the ACA.

"There have been services for NSW players and South Australian players and we're coordinating services for the other states. That's around psychologists and counselling services and then also PDM's who work in the state system currently in conjunction with the ACA."

Central to the support provided has been the young NSW allrounder Sean Abbott, who bowled the routine bouncer that felled his former state squad-mate Hughes. "He's got a lot of support around him from his team-mates and obviously the counselling services," Nicholson said. "So he's someone we're monitoring closely and he's receiving a lot of support."