Cricket Australia (CA) paid tribute to Phillip Hughes on the eve of the five-year anniversary of his death, labeling him as the "very best" of Australian cricket.

The 25-year-old cricketer had died from a rare injury – a "catastrophic" blow to the back of his head after being struck by a bouncer during a Sheffield Shield match between South Australia and New South Wales on 25 November 2014.

However, Hughes was wearing a helmet when he was hit after attempting to hook a short-pitch ball from New South Wales fast bowler Sean Abbott, but that Australian standard helmet could not prevent him from being struck on the back of the head by a rising delivery.

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Hughes passed away two days later in a Sydney hospital from a rare injury – there have been only 100 documented cases of vertebral artery dissection - which resulted in severe bleeding on his brain.

Meanwhile, CA chief executive Kevin Roberts said in a heartfelt statement: “A man dedicated to his family, a loyal friend, a popular teammate and a prodigiously talented cricketer.”

He continued, “There hasn't been a single day over these last five years when Phillip's loss hasn't been felt acutely by the Australian cricket family. He remains in the hearts of players, coaches, staff, volunteers, and fans across Australia and around the world. He always will.”

Roberts signed off by saying, “Our thoughts today are with the Hughes family, and the Macksville community that Phillip called home. I can't begin to fathom their pain or their sense of loss.”

Noteworthy, Hughes had represented Australia in 25 Tests and 24 one-day internationals while the CA is hoping to avoid a repeat of what happened to Phillip by making the use of the neck guard mandatory for the batsman in the game.

(With 1 News Now Inputs)