The parents of Josh Baker, a cricketer who died aged 20, said they were both “broken” after his shock death.
Worcestershire Country Cricket Club has announced the death of the spin thrower THURSDAY.
Baker had made 47 appearances across all formats for the club, taking 70 wickets, and was playing for the second team on Wednesday, less than 24 hours before the news was announced.
Paul and Lisa Baker shared a photo of themselves with their son taken on a cricket field, saying Josh “achieved many of his dreams before he turned 21”.
They added: “Take advantage of every opportunity to hug your parents and children. We have been very heartened by the many messages received so far.”
Tributes have poured in for the young sportsman, including England captain Jos Buttler, who wrote on Instagram: “Incredibly sad news, thoughts and prayers with all of Josh’s family, friends and everyone at Worcs.”
Former England captain Michael Vaughan posted on is heartbreaking! Horrible news about this – and future young cricketer leaving the world far too soon!
Azhar Ali, the former Pakistani cricketer, wrote on X: “Really sad to hear this shocking news. Josh was a wonderful, bright boy, who always had a smile on his face.”
Baker’s former manager Shaftab Khalid said the news was “devastating”, speaking to BBC Sport.
Khalid added: “Worcestershire have lost not only a very talented cricketer, but also an incredible and wonderful human being. He was such a kind, humble and gentle person.”
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England women’s coach Jon Lewis echoed their sentiments and said his assistant coach Alex Gidman – who was Baker’s head coach at Worcestershire and oversaw his development into a cricketer of the first team – was shaken by the tragedy.
“It’s really shocking. I talked to Alex and he was pretty upset about it,” Lewis said. “He gave Josh his first contract at Worcestershire, so he was quite connected to that part of cricket. Cricket is an incredibly small world and it’s really sad.”
Many county grounds lowered their flags to half-mast on Friday before matches, with teams observing a minute’s silence before the start of the match and some choosing to wear black armbands.
Worcestershire invited fans to sign a book of condolence in Baker’s memory and opened an area at their New Road ground for supporters to pay their respects.
They were heartbroken by the loss and asked that Baker’s family be given “privacy and respect.”
The former England under-19 international took three wickets against Somerset at Bromsgrove on Wednesday, with the match abandoned as a draw on Thursday, and also played in two Vitality County Championship matches last month.
No further details about the circumstances of his death have been released.
Baker turned professional in 2021, taking 43 wickets in 22 first-class appearances, the last of which came against Durham less than a fortnight ago.
Sky news