THE sickening head injury sustained by former Worcestershire batsman Phil Hughes this week is a timely reminder of the inherent dangers of sport.

Hughes is on a life support machine in a Sydney hospital after being hit on the head when a bouncer missed his helmet.

Now, the 25-year-old Australian, who spent the 2012 season at New Road, is fighting for his life. Cricket is in a state of shock.

Mercifully, incidents such as those witnessed at the Sydney Cricket Ground are few and far between but injuries, some more serious than others, are not unheard of.

Every time a cricketer takes to the field, at any level of the game, they know there is a risk involved.

Helmets, pads and gloves provide an element of protection but, as the Hughes incident has shown, can do nothing if you are struck by the ball in the wrong place at the wrong time.

It is the same with most sports.

Rugby players and footballers put their bodies on the line in every match and know all too well the dangers.

In the last few weeks alone, concussion and how players are treated for head injuries has been a major issue.

Boxers are always one punch away from sustaining serious damage, no matter how safe the sport now purports to be.

Jules Bianchi’s accident at the Japanese Grand Prix last month brought home the perils of motorsport at the highest level.

Every physical sport carries its own risks, no matter how large or small the involvement, and every sport has its own stories to tell of the consequences.

Yet, despite the dangers, they remain hugely popular. Which is how it should be.

We accept the dangers because rational thought says if you stopped playing sport through fear of being hurt, you’d never play.

Hughes was injured playing the sport he loves. Let’s hope he makes a full recovery.