Tom Cooper quashes claims on Doug Bollinger sledging of Phillip Hughes

Tom Cooper’s comment came on the second day of the week-long inquest into the death of Hughes at the NSW Coroner's Court in Sydney.

Melbourne: South Australian batsman Tom Cooper has quashed the claims that  New South Wales paceman Doug Bollinger sledged batsmen with taunt of “I’m going to kill you” during the Sheffield Shield match in which Phillip Hughes was fatally injured. Cooper’s comment came on the second day of the week-long inquest into the death of Hughes at the NSW Coroner’s Court in Sydney. The 29-year-old was at the non-striker’s end when Hughes was struck on the back of the neck by a bouncer while batting for the West End Redbacks in a Sheffield Shield match against New South Wales at the Sydney Cricket Ground on November 25, 2014. ALSO READ: Phillip Hughes’ family hopeful of positive response as investigation opens

Two days later, the 25-year-old South Australian batsman died in the hospital as a result of a traumatic basal subarachnoid haemorrhage caused by the blow. While asked about the alleged sledge by Bollinger, Cooper said he was confident that nothing was happened. “If it had of happened, I would have remembered it. It’s quite personal, it would stick in your mind,” Cooper, who had faced 22 balls when Phillip was struck, was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.

Cooper, who faced at-times heated cross examination from Greg Melick SC, counsel representing the Hughes family, further said Bollinger’s usual attempts at sledging batsmen were funnier than derogatory. ALSO READ: Phillip Hughes’ death does not mean that cricket cannot be made safer, says investigation

On Monday, Bollinger and Brad Haddin had also denied the claims of sledging raised by Phillip’s brother Jason Hughes. There were reports that Cooper had told Jason of the sledge in the changing room after the incident. When asked to recall what he had told Jason, Cooper said he told Phillip’s brother that it was a tough period of play with plenty of short stuff, but denied he said anything about the alleged “I’m going to kill you” sledge from Bollinger.