Cricket ball snuffs out another life

Ashdod (Israel), nov 30
Hillel Awaskar, an Indian-origin international umpire and former captain of Israel’s cricket team, died after being hit on the neck by a ball during a league match in this coastal city on Saturday, just two days after the tragic death of Phil Hughes.
“The batsman had struck hard. The ball first hit the stumps, got deflected, hit Awaskar on his neck, and he collapsed,” said Yona, one of the players in the ill-
fated match.
The 55-year-old Awaskar, who originally hailed from Mumbai, was evacuated to a hospital in a critical condition, where medics failed to revive him. “The players took him to the hospital but he didn’t survive. It’s a sad moment for all of us,” Yona said.
Israeli newspaper Haaretz quoted doctors who tried to resuscitate Awaskar as saying that he suffered a heart attack after being hit by the ball. Awaskar had been among the leading performers for Israel’s national team in his youth; he continued to be involved in the game by later picking up
umpiring and officiating in the European Cricket league games.
“I remember Awaskar immigrating as a youngster from Mumbai. He was around 10 or 12 then. He used to be quite a livewire on the field and made his presence felt immediately,” said Shmuel, a friend of the deceased umpire.
The Israel Cricket Association CEO, Naor Gudker, who also happens to be an international umpire, said the death has left everyone shocked.    “The cricket fraternity in Israel is in a shock. We are all like a family and it is a loss for all of us,” he said. Awaskar, a former captain of the national team, had represented Israel in five ICC trophies since 1982.  His last matches for Israel were in division two of the European Championships in 2006. A left-arm spinner and hard-hitting top-order batsman, he had the local league record for the highest score (244 not out), scored for the Ashdod A side, local media reports said.
Teams participating in the Israel’s winter league have decided to postpone the scheduled matches next week with condolence messages pouring in from all over Israel.
Cricket is not a very popular sport in Israel, though there is an amateur league comprising players from India and countries like South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. — Agencies