New Zealand vs. Pakistan suspended after Hughes dies

(Reuters) - Play was called off in the third test between Pakistan and New Zealand in Sharjah on Thursday following the shocking death of Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes, which left the tourists in no mood to play. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and New Zealand Cricket (NZC) agreed to suspend the second day's play and finish the test on Monday instead of Sunday. "Today isn't about cricket, it's about Phil," New Zealand coach Mike Hesson said in a statement. "Like the rest of the cricketing family, the Blackcaps players and management are devastated to hear about Phil's tragic passing. It's an unthinkable loss and I can tell you it's an incredibly sombre dressing room right now. "To those who were close to Phillip, we extend our deepest sympathies. Our thoughts are with you during this extremely difficult time." The 25-year-old Hughes was struck on the head by a bouncer during a domestic match on Tuesday and passed away after two days in a Sydney hospital from the "catastrophic" injury which caused "massive" bleeding to his brain.. Pakistan, who lead the three-test series 1-0, were to resume on 281 for three with opening batsman Mohammad Hafeez unbeaten on 178 and captain Misbah-ul-Haq on 38. "Today will be treated as a rest day, and the test will resume tomorrow and conclude a day later than scheduled," NZC said in a post on their official Twitter feed. The stadium scoreboard offered a tribute to Hughes, reading: "Sharjah Cricket deeply mourns the untimely demise of Australian cricketer Mr. Phillip Hughes - R.I.P" with an image of the batsman displayed at the opposite end. (Reporting by Sudipto Ganguly and Patrick Johnston; Editing by John O'Brien)