Messages of tribute to Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes can be seen outside the Cricket New South Wales headquarters
Messages of tribute to Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes can be seen outside the Cricket New South Wales headquarters located at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) November 28, 2014. Australia's cricket board will launch an "immediate" review into player safety in the wake of Hughes' death, as the global cricket community mourned on Friday and the fate of next week's first test against India remained in limbo. Flags flew at half-mast at cricket grounds and players left bats outside their doors in tribute to batsman Hughes, whose death in hospital on Thursday at the age of 25 shook the sport to its core and prompted a global outpouring of sympathy. 408 refers to Hughes' Australian cap number. REUTERS/David Gray

Cricket Australia said that it would not be held against any player if he decided to opt out of the first test due to Phil Hughes' tragic death. The first test between Australia and India, which was scheduled to start on Dec. 4, would now be held in Adelaide from Dec. 9.

Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland said that players would not face any backlash for withdrawing their name from the first test in case they struggled to move on after Hughes' death. Both Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers' Association clarified that their priority was to maintain the mental wellbeing of the players, The Sydney Morning Herald reported. The rescheduled dates of the first test will give the players more time to recover from the recent tragedy when Hughes was hit in the head by a bouncer while playing in a Sheffield Shield match at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Sean Abbott's short-pitch delivery immediately left Hughes unconscious on the field. He died in hospital two days after the incident.

Hughes' funeral is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, Dec. 3. Sutherland said that the players would receive the best support possible in the meantime. While people may speculate about who is going play in the first test against India, Sutherland asked everyone to give the players due space and let them decide themselves in their own way. Both CA and the ACA are going to support their decision, he said, whatever that is. Playing test cricket is difficult anyway but the upcoming test will be extremely tough on players as, according to Sutherland, "every stroke, delivery and mis-field" would be subjected to intense scrutiny. However, nobody is going to "think ill of anyone," he said. "It's absolutely up to the individual, and any player that is not comfortable, or doesn't feel right or there is medical advice to suggest they're not right," he said, "We will obviously understand that, and I'm sure the broader public will as well."

Some of the major Australian players, who had been expected to play in the first test, were present in the field when Hughes was fatally struck by the bouncer. Such players include the likes of Shane Watson, Nathan Lyon, Brad Haddin and David Warner.

Contact the writer: s.mukhopadhyay@ibtimes.com.au