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Cricket Australia trademarks term "63 not out"
Score reached by Phillip Hughes in his final innings
Governing body says it is to prevent people cashing in
Australia in strong position in third Test against India
Cricket Australia has trademarked the term “63 not out” in an attempt to prevent people cashing in on the death of its Test batsman Phillip Hughes.
The 25-year-old Hughes died after being hit on the head by a ball in a domestic match in Sydney last month.
He had reached the score of 63 runs when the tragic accident occurred.
Read: Australia cricketer Hughes dies after freak accident
His untimely death stunned the sporting world and the scheduled first Test between Australia and India in Adelaide had to be postponed as his teammates struggled to cope with their grief at his passing.
Tributes on social media initially centered around a campaign #putyourbatsout on Twitter as thousands of people photographed cricket bats in unusual places to mark their respect for Hughes.
But 63 not out also became an iconic symbol of the batsman’s life and when the first Test eventually took place, spectators were asked to stand for 63 seconds of applause before the start.
Australian players reaching that score during their innings also marked its significance with gestures and many in the crowd wore T-shirts or held up signs with 63 not out featured.
Read: Clarke leads tributes at funeral of cricketer Hughes
However, cricket authorities in Australia and Hughes’ representatives have become concerned about the volume of unlicensed memorabilia, mostly clothing and stickers, and the use of online auction sites to promote the various offerings.
Cricket Australia said the agreement was purely “defensive” to prevent others trying to exploit Hughes’ memory.
“CA registered the trademark in conjunction with Phillip’s management to prevent others trying to exploit Phillip’s memory,” a spokesperson told CNN.
“There was some evidence of that starting,” it added.
The entire Australia-India series has been played out with continuous reminders of Hughes. The Australian team is wearing shirts with the number 408 stitched in.
Hughes was the 408th player to represent his country in Test matches, the highest level of international cricket.
Australia’s players, especially those closest to Hughes, have also produced inspired performances against India, taking a 2-0 lead and dominating the Third Test which started on Boxing Day in Melbourne.
Read: Captain’s knock from Smith at MCG
Stand-in captain Steve Smith reached his Test-best 192 on Saturday as the home team posted a formidable first innings of 530.
He was supported by innings from Brad Haddin (55), Mitchell Johnson (28) and Ryan Harris (74) as Australia scored quickly against the Indian bowling attack.
India fought back to reach 108 for one wicket by the close, but its chancing of winning the match and attempting to square the four-match series is effectively over.