17-year-old Melbourne cricketer dies after being struck by ball during practice
Melbourne: In a tragic incident, a 17-year-old Australian cricketer, Ben Austin has died after being struck by a ball during practice at the Wally Tew Reserve in Ferntree Gully.
The teenager was training in the nets on Tuesday afternoon, facing deliveries from an automatic bowling machine, while wearing a helmet, he was hit in the head and neck area, according to local reports. Paramedics rushed him to Monash Medical Centre, where he succumbed to his injuries on Wednesday, after remaining in critical condition.
According to a report published by the Times of India, Ben’s father, Jace Austin, confirmed the heartbreaking news in a statement. Jace said, “We are utterly devastated by the passing of our beautiful Ben, who died earlier on Thursday morning. This tragedy has taken Ben from us. But we find some comfort that he was doing something he loved, spending yet another summer afternoon at the nets with his mates.”
He also extended support to Ben’s teammate who was bowling at the time of the incident, saying, “This accident has impacted two young men, and our thoughts are with him and his family as well.”
The Ferntree Gully Cricket Club, where Ben played, described his death as an unimaginable loss. “We are absolutely devastated by the passing of Ben, and the impact of his death will be felt deeply across our cricket community,” the club said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family- Jace, Tracey, Cooper, and Zach, and all who knew Ben and the joy he brought.”
Besides representing Ferntree Gully, Ben also played for the Mulgrave and Eildon Park cricket clubs and was part of the Waverley Park Hawks junior football team.
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Swamiji fires gun into the air in Kalaburagi village, video goes viral
Kalaburagi: An incident involving a swamiji firing a gun into the air has been reported from Udachan village in Afzalpur taluk of Kalaburagi district. The act, captured on video, has since gone viral on social media.
The swamiji has been identified as Sri Shantalinga Shivacharya, pontiff of the Hiremath of Sri Shankaralingeshwara Samsthana. According to reports, the incident took place on Sunday evening within the premises of the math, where the swamiji allegedly fired a single-barrel gun into the air.
This is not the first time the swami has courted controversy. Last year, he was reportedly found driving erratically under the influence of alcohol in Salotagi village of neighbouring Indi taluk, following which members of the public confronted him. He later fled from the math, sources said.
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More recently, during the annual fair of the Sri Shankaralingeshwara Math in Udachan village, the swami had arrived at the village with police protection, claiming to be the rightful pontiff of the math. Despite opposition from villagers, he reportedly went ahead and conducted rituals related to the fair.
The latest incident of firing the gun into the air has triggered criticism, especially after the video surfaced online. Further action, if any, is awaited from the authorities.
