JUSTIN LANGER: Rishabh Pant and Phil Hughes both at peak of powers before tragedy struck at age 25

Earlier this week, the Sydney Cricket Ground fell into minute’s silence to mark the death of Phil Hughes. It was exactly 10 years to that darkest of days.

In stark contrast, the atmosphere couldn’t have been more different in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where I was for the Indian Premier League Mega Auction.

Silence was a stranger as franchises scrambled to secure their chosen targets. Cricket was being celebrated, not remembered, for the wrong reasons.

These two scenes made me think of sliding doors moments.

November 27, 2014, 2.33pm

Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes was batting when he was struck by a bouncer bowled by his friend Sean Abbott during a Sheffield Shield match between South Australia and New South Wales at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

December 30, 2022, 5.30am

Indian cricketer, Rishabh Pant was involved in a devastating car accident on the Yamuna Expressway between Delhi and Uttar Pradesh in India.

Hughes died. Pant miraculously survived.

Two accidents, two outcomes. The heartache and joy of sliding doors.

Both men were 25 years old. Both were/are super-talented, fun-loving people and excitement machines on the cricket field.

Both, were/are short, left-handed batsmen. Both had/have the energy to light up the room with their energy and smile. Both are widely loved.

On Sunday, Pant, broke the IPL record for the highest amount ever bid on a player. My franchise, the Lucknow Super Giants, paid $5 million for his services. Not bad for just over eight weeks’ work.

If Hughes were still alive, he would have been commanding high prices, not just for his dynamic batting but also for the energy he would have brought the group. Sadly, he would never find out.

What does $5m buy you, you may ask?

When selecting a squad, talent and temperament plays a part, as does character and personality.

The last time India travelled to Australia, Pant was a massive part of their success against us. His talent and temperament under pressure were on display for the world to see. At times he single-handedly tore the game from the palms of our hands.

It wouldn’t surprise me if he didn’t have a similar impact this summer.

Back in the last series, there was also something else that struck me about Pant.

His personality was such that he always laughed and smiled in the lunchroom or around the changing rooms. He was never far from Virat Kohli, the aggressive leader of the Indian team.

It was as though he was taking pressure off the captain by making him smile and relax for the contest.

Watching a leader’s right-hand person is always interesting to me, and for Kohli, one of the biggest names on the sporting planet, it was obvious who he had chosen.

And then there is the character piece.

Since the last time he was on our shores, Pant has faced a life challenge that would break others. A sliding door moment that would change anyone’s life.

On that early December morning in 2022 he was involved in a devastating car accident on the Yamuna Expressway between Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.

The incident occurred when he drove from Delhi to his hometown in Roorkee. It is suspected that he fell asleep at the wheel.

His luxury car collided with a road divider and caught fire after hitting the barrier. The fire destroyed the vehicle. Severe injuries resulted, and immediate and extensive medical intervention was required.

The extent of those injuries was potentially life changing. He sustained multiple ligament tears in his knee, fractured bones in his hands, and significant injuries to his head and back.

When it was apparent he would survive, the next questions focused on the potential long-term impact on his cricket career and overall mobility. Most believed he may never walk again, let alone play the game he loves.

Doctors worked tirelessly to stabilise his condition and develop a comprehensive - but physically and emotionally challenging - treatment plan.

He underwent multiple surgeries, including reconstructive procedures on his knee and treatment for other orthopedic injuries. Hands and legs are crucial for a wicketkeeper/batsman.

The psychological impact of the accident was equally significant. Pant had to confront the possibility of his cricket career being cut short and deal with the trauma of such a life-altering experience. His mental resilience became a crucial aspect of his recovery, supported by his family, friends, and the cricket community.

Throughout his rehabilitation, the pocket dynamo showed remarkable determination. He shared updates on social media, providing insights into his recovery process and maintaining a positive outlook.

Simple tasks that were once routine became challenges he had to relearn, demonstrating extraordinary patience and perseverance.

Day by day, he became stronger, although, as many friends have told me, there were times when the excruciating journey was too much to bear. The light at the end of the tunnel, the dream of representing India again, seemed a lifetime away and yet it was what drove him through the toughest of times.

On his return to cricket, Pant said: “It was the first time in my life I had that feeling of letting it go. I felt my time in this world was over. When my accident happened, I felt something spiritual saved me. I can’t even imagine how much worse it could have been. Doctors even spoke to me about amputation.”

Ricky Ponting, a good friend of Pant and his coach in his comeback series with the Delhi Capitals in last year’s IPL said: “If you can even see his leg now and listen to the stories he tells about what he had confronted during his car accident … not just the mental scarring that comes with that, but the physical side and the rehab he went through. It’s a remarkable comeback.”

This week he was a part of India’s comprehensive victory in Perth while becoming the highest-played player in IPL history. Considering life could have been so different, what a rise from the depths of hopelessness.

The incident was a stark reminder of life’s fragility and the importance of road safety and living life to its fullest.

The much-loved Australian cricketer Andrew Symonds wasn’t as lucky as Rishabh.

He, too, suspectedly fell asleep at the wheel in May, 2022. Tragically, like Hughes, a terrible accident took away one of life’s great personalities.

Have you ever had one of those moments yourself? A close call, a recovery from a serious illness, a brush with death. Did it change your perspective on life?

I reflect on my life and how things could have been so different.

Several times, I was hit in the helmet on the cricket field.

The symptoms of concussion were horrible, as are the psychological scars of those events. Today, I joke that I would rather run from Perth to Brisbane barefoot than face fast bowling ever again. The memories of being knocked out never leave you.

And then I think of Hughes.

That fatal cricket ball hit Hughesy just below his helmet, causing a catastrophic vertebral artery dissection and severe brain hemorrhage. Where the ball hit him was only centimetres, even millimetres from where I was hit many times before and yet I am still here; he isn’t.

Before I was 21, I was involved in two car accidents.

On both occasions, the cars were written off. On both occasions, I was uninjured physically, but the mental scars remain. My friends and I joke that I must be a terrible driver, but luckily I am still here to tell the tale. Symonds, like so many others aren’t so fortunate.

The unthinkable deaths of 19-year-olds Holly Bowles and Bianca Jones in Laos last week have rocked the world. I am not sure about you, but in my life, my family and I have been in situations not unlike Holly and Bianca, having fun and being carefree.

The difference is we all came home and have stories to tell that will be with us forever. Sadly, those two beautiful young women and four others from different parts of the world were not as lucky. Their deaths are unthinkable, a tragedy their families and friends will have to live with for the rest of their lives.

We often hear, live each day as if it’s your last. Sliding doors moments like these are more than a slogan or a cliché, but rather a gentle reminder of the fragility of life.