Sean Abbott will take a little while longer before getting onto the cricket field, after deciding to watch from the sidelines when his club Sydney University plays at the weekend.
Cricket will return for the first time in Sydney since the death of Phil Hughes, but Abbott has decided not to play for his club side, with teammate and fellow Australia international Mitchell Starc also refraining from playing.
Abbott was the unfortunate bowler when his bouncer struck Hughes fatally on the neck last week in a Sheffield Shield game between New South Wales and South Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
It remains to be seen if Abbott will decide to play for New South Wales against Queensland starting Tuesday, with NSW chief executive Andrew Jones saying it would be entirely up to the bowler.
"He's in the same boat as everybody else," Jones told News Ltd. "It's a matter for him to see what he wants to do so we'll let him make that decision.
"We'll just regroup then and confirm where everybody is at and if everyone's comfortable to play or not comfortable to play or where individuals are at, and go from there."
Abbott has received overwhelming support from the cricketing community, and beyond, following the death of Hughes, but one can only imagine what the fast bowler will be going through at the moment.
The youngster was present at the funeral of Hughes on Wednesday, with trauma experts telling Reuters the full impact of the incident will be felt by Abbott only after a few weeks. However, the experts also suggested the best way for Abbott to overcome his grief is by returning to the familiar surroundings of cricket, with his teammates set to play a huge role in his recovery.
South Australia, Hughes' team, are also undecided on whether to will play next week in the Sheffield Shield clash against Tasmania.
"I wouldn't recommend [the players] stay away at all, actually," said Michael Burge, director of the Australian College of Trauma Treatment.
"They just need to be taking into account that they may be a little bit awkward or not quite on their game as they were for a few weeks.
"[They should] give themselves some self-latitude, some tolerance and compassion to be, perhaps, less than their best."
