ABC News' Phil Hughes tweet causes uproar

ABC News' Twitter account has been bombarded by outraged followers after the national broadcaster tweeted that Cricket NSW "could not confirm if Phil Hughes was alive when he left the SCG".

The South Australia batsman had been struck on the head by a bouncer during a Sheffield Shield clash at the SCG on Tuesday.

He has been taken to hospital in a critical condition.

Twitter followers branded the tweet as "stupid", "unnecessary", "horrible journalism", "disgusting", "poor form", "hugely irresponsible" and "a disgrace".

It has since been retracted by the ABC but not before the lambasting by a number of followers.

what? really? #ThinkPositive - this kind of comment is NO help @abcnews — BrownSquirrel (@BrownSquirrel) November 25, 2014

@abcnews Horrible journalism. Shame. — Sam Defa (@sam_defa) November 25, 2014

@abcnews this is a disgusting tweet — Xavier Blair (@aragonce91) November 25, 2014

@abcnews whoever tweeted this is a disgrace. Show some respect to the man and his family. Would you want to read this crap if you knew him? — Sub Rob (@trimbowlme) November 25, 2014

The ABC issued an apology via Twitter just after 5pm.

Our earlier tweet about Phil Hughes' condition as he left the SCG was insensitive and we apologise for any distress it may have caused. — ABC Grandstand (@abcgrandstand) November 25, 2014