Sean Abbott reaches out to boy involved in fatal cricket accident that killed Ben Austin

Australian cricketer Sean Abbott, who bowled the ball that killed former Test star Phil Hughes, has visited the young Melbourne player involved in the fatal accident that killed Ben Austin.

The cricket community has united in grief over the death of 17-year-old Austin, who was hit in the head by a ball on Tuesday afternoon in Ferntree Gully and died the following day.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Sean Abbott reaches out to boy involved in fatal accident.

In 2014, Hughes was hit in the neck by a short ball bowled from Abbott during a Sheffield Shield game. He spent several days in hospital before tragically dying.

At the time, the entire cricketing world wrapped its arms around not only the Hughes family, but also Abbott who, despite the traumatising accident, has gone on to carve out a successful career, particularly in the shorter formats, where he has represented Australia.

On Friday, Abbott, who is from New South Wales, visited the eastern Melbourne suburb of Ferntree Gully to console with the boy whose unique pain he shares.

At the nets where Austin went down on Tuesday, an outpouring of grief has been left in the form of flowers, bats and messages of support.

Speaking to 7NEWS, Austin’s father Jace said the family went back there on Friday.

“We just got back from the nets today because I had to get there,” he said, speaking from his son’s bedroom.

“I had to go there and be where he was at his last hit.

“We love the game more than we ever have now and we’ll do that through Benny because that’s what he would want.”

At the tragic scene where Austin lost his life, his uncle remembered a beloved nephew.

“They say no one’s perfect, but he was pretty close,” Dave Anstey told 7NEWS.

Today, Austin’s parents and two younger brothers said a final goodbye at the hospital.

“Today’s probably going to be the hardest day,” Anstey said.

“It’s their final moments, hours, with Ben and, yeah, they’re holding up OK. The five of them are together, which is really beautiful.

“When the Phil Hughes tragedy happened, your cricket just becomes a family.”

One of his closest mates had been there too.

“It’s dreadful. Just having to see him there and knowing that he wouldn’t like it a single bit,” Hudson Reid said.

“I think about all the good times I’ve had with him and I’m not going to be able to have those memories with him any longer.”

The much-loved teenager was supposed to be sitting his PE exam today. Instead, this tragedy is making global headlines, rocking the entire cricketing world.

At house upon house across the nation, bats are out for Ben.

“You’re just gobsmacked with how much support (there has been) and it’s just really gone international and everyone knows about it and it’s good that Ben’s legacy will just live on forever,” Austin’s coach Josh Henry said.

At the Junction Oval today, on Day 4 of Victoria’s Sheffield Shield clash with Tasmania, players, coaches and umpires observed a minute’s silence before play.

Cricket Victoria chief executive Nick Cummins described the tribute as bittersweet.

“It makes you so proud to realise how connected the cricket community is and how much we look after each other ... but it’s a shame that it’s these moments that remind you of that very fact,” he told reporters on Friday.

“Ben was the classic Aussie boy or girl who loved footy in the winter and cricket in the summer.

“He is how we would like all of our children to turn out, and was living the dream.”

In a family statement on Thursday, Jace Austin said their thoughts were also with the other boy involved in the incident.

“We would also like to support his teammate who was bowling in the nets — this accident has impacted two young men and our thoughts are with he and his family as well,” the statement said.

“We would like to thank the cricket community including Ferntree Gully Cricket Club, Mulgrave Cricket Club and Eildon Park Cricket Club for their support since Tuesday evening and to the dozens of people who visited Ben in hospital.

“Finally, we would also like thank all the first responders at the scene and the staff at Monash Children’s Hospital who worked so hard to help Ben.

“We will cherish Ben forever. We would ask that our family’s privacy is respected as we come to terms with our loss.”