Australian cricket team captain Michael Clarke pauses as he speaks in front of he Baggy Green and other state representative caps belonging to Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes during his funeral service
Australian cricket team captain Michael Clarke pauses as he speaks in front of he Baggy Green and other state representative caps belonging to Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes during his funeral service in the town of Macksville, located north of Sydney December 3, 2014. The funeral of Australian test cricketer Phillip Hughes began to the strains of a song entitled "Forever Young" in his home town on Wednesday as a nation united to celebrate the life of a sportsman cut down in his prime. Eight days after Hughes was struck by a ball in the back of the head and six after he died of the catastrophic injuries that resulted, his family, friends and a host of cricketing greats gathered at Macksville High School to bid farewell to him. REUTERS/Cameron Spencer/Pool

Michael Clarke said goodbye to his teammate Phillip Hughes. His funeral speech on Dec. 3 may well be considered as the finest ever by a cricket captain.

No Australian cricket captain had to go through what Clarke had since Nov. 25 when his teammate Hughes was fatally hit by a bouncer. The world has seen him break down in tears when Hughes succumbed to the blow a couple of days later. However, Clarke was expected to get his composure back to deliver the funeral speech on Wednesday. He spent five minutes and a half to talk about the loss. According to The Sydney Morning Herald, it might have been the finest speech ever given by an Australian sportsman.

Clarke gave an extremely emotional account of how he would miss his teammate. He said that he would keep looking for Hughes and expect any minute to take a call from him or to see Hughes' face pop around the corner to call him into the next room for a story and a laugh. The Independent wrote that Clarke's speech was "beautiful in its simplicity and sincerity." His words were "lovely" and "heartfelt" even though he struggled to say those at times. He was unable to suppress the tears as he was heard advising himself to do what he had the responsibility to do.

Clarke is considered as one of the finest captains the country has ever produced. However, on Wednesday, he represented Australia,which had always played the game of cricket with pride. Clarke won Australia's sympathy and admiration with the speech where he grieved his "little brother." When he walked out into the middle of the Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday, he had the same "blades of grass" beneath his feet, where Hughes and Clarke and so many of their mates built partnerships, took chances and lived out the Australian dream they had painted in their heads as boys.

Clarke, however, had to talk about future. He had to talk about the game being played on. He had to get back to the game of cricket that his buddy had literally given his life to. "And we must play on. So, rest in peace, my friend and brother. I'll see you out in the middle," Clarke concluded.

Video Courtesy: YouTube/cricket.com.au

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

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