Phillip Hughes 1988 - 2014: See the moving tribute paid by Google Australia

Cricketers and fans paid respects to South Australia batsman Phillip Hughes

The Google Australia homepage has paid tribute to cricketer Phillip Hughes who died yesterday aged 25 after being hit on the head by a ball during a match.

The internet search engine giant dedicated a section its homepage, which shows a cricket bat leaning against a white wall, to the sportsman.

The hashtag #putoutyourbats was started on social media by fellow cricketers which saw fans and teammates leaving bats outside their front doors to pay their respects to the talented young sportsman.

Hughes, who was wearing a helmet, fractured his skull and suffered fatal bleeding in his brain after a bouncer thrown by Sean Abbott accidentally knocked him unconscious during a Sheffield Shield match between South Australia and New South Wales on Tuesday.

New South Wales player Abbott, 22, is said to be "absolutely shaken and broken" with having thrown the ball which caused the fatal accident at Sydney Cricket Ground.

Former England cricket captain Sir Ian Botham tweeted: "A very sad day for the world of cricket. So sorry for Phillip Hughes and his family. Spare a thought for Sean Abbott."

The official Cricket Australia Twitter feed said: "The strength of the cricket family is more important than ever on this incredibly sad day. Please keep Sean Abbott in your thoughts."

South Australia batsman Hughes was carried off the playing ground on a stretcher and treated on the boundary before being rushed to a hospital where he underwent surgery. The match was abandoned following the incident.

The left-hander Hughes was in an induced coma at the St. Vincent’s Hospital here after undergoing surgery to relieve pressure on his brain.

“He never regained consciousness following his injury on Tuesday,” Australian team doctor Peter Brukner said in the statement Thursday.

“He was not in pain before he passed and was surrounded by his family and close friends,” Dr Brukner added.