Australian batsman Phillip Hughes died Thursday from his injuries after being hit on the head by a bouncer in a domestic game this week, never regaining consciousness.
"It is my sad duty to inform you that a short time ago Phillip Hughes passed away," Australian team doctor Peter Brukner said in a statement. Hughes was 25.
"He never regained consciousness following his injury on Tuesday," added Brukner.
"He was not in pain before he passed and was surrounded by his family and close friends.
"As a cricket community we mourn his loss and extend our deepest sympathies to Phillip's family and friends at this incredibly sad time."
Australian Cricketers' Association head Alistair Nicholson said Philip Hughes, "died playing the sport he loved and amongst those that loved him" in a statement released on November 27.
Hughes, who played 26 Tests, collapsed after being hit by a Sean Abbott bouncer during a Sheffield Shield game between South Australia and New South Wales at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Tuesday, sending shockwaves through the cricketing world.
A stream of current and former players had maintained a vigil at his bedside, with emotions running high. Australia captain Michael Clarke has been an almost constant presence at his close friend's side at St Vincent's Hospital since the freak incident.
EARLIER: Australia cricketer Phillip Hughes remains in an induced coma on Thursday after spending a second night in a Sydney, with the local ambulance service now under scrutiny for their response to the accident.
Hughes needed emergency surgery to relieve pressure on his brain after being struck on the head by a ball during a domestic match on Tuesday at the Sydney Cricket Ground, a devastating blow experts have compared to the trauma suffered by victims of a car crash.
An update on Hughes's condition is expected later on Thursday.
Medical staff declined to comment on the results of scans on Wednesday, only to reiterate that the 25-year-old batsman remained in critical condition, his condition unchanged.
Local media praised the New South Wales team doctor who performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) after Hughes collapsed, but the response time of ambulances dispatched to the stadium was queried.
The head of New South Wales Ambulance was to be hauled before the state health minister Jillian Skinner on Thursday after the ambulance authority issued conflicting statements about their response times.
The arrival of the first ambulance took 15 minutes, NSW Ambulance clarified in a statement on Wednesday.
The state's median response time for the highest priority "life-threatening cases" was just under eight minutes in 2013-14, according the authority's statistics.
"Due to the conflicting information distributed today by NSW Ambulance regarding (Tuesday's) response to the Sydney Cricket Ground, I will be meeting with NSW Ambulance Commissioner Ray Creen tomorrow to discuss the circumstances surrounding the incident," Skinner said.
Dr Peter Larkins, a leading sports physician, told Reuters that Hughes was lucky to have immediate assistance from New South Wales team doctor John Orchard and that there was oxygen available at the ground.
"Time is of the essence when your brain has suffered trauma," he said.
Family and players maintained their vigil at Hughes' bedside, with Australia captain Michael Clarke returning to the hospital at 6:15 a.m. local time on Thursday, local media reported.