CANBERRA Cheap Nike SB Zoom Bruin , Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes has been farewelled by more than 5,000 people at an emotional funeral service in his hometown of Macksville in New South Wales on Wednesday.


The service, which was televised and broadcast nationally, paid tribute to the popular batsman who was described as a ""one of a kind"" and ""as loyal as they come.""


Australian captain Michael Clarke choked back tears as he delivered an emotional eulogy to his former teammate, while Hughes ' best friend, his brother, sister and cousin, and Cricket Australia chief James Sutherland Cheap Nike SB Nyjah Free , also honored his gregarious personality and gentle nature.


Hughes, 25, died on Thursday last week after being struck on the head by a cricket ball in an interstate match two days earlier.


The funeral was watched by many more people at live screenings at the Sydney Cricket Groung, Adelaide Oval, Blundstone Arena, the Gabba, the WACA Ground and Melbourne's Federation Square.


Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Opposition leader Bill Shorten, as well as the entire Australian Test team and the Australian women's team Cheap Nike SB Dunk , attended the service.


Former Australian captains Mark Taylor and Ricky Ponting were also in attendance, while former international greats such as New Zealander Sir Richard Hadlee and West Indian Brian Lara made the trip to country New South Wales, halfway between Brisbane and Sydney, to farewell the budding batsman.


His brother, Jason, father, Gregory, cricketers Clarke Cheap Nike SB Blazer , Aaron Finch and Tom Cooper and friends Corey Ireland, Mitchell Lonergan and Matthew Day acted as pallbearers, with Hughes's coffin led out of the service by a guard of honor and through the streets of Macksville.


In the midst of the service, Australian captain Michael Clarke choked back tears as he spoke of his ""little brother.""


Clarke, who was also a close friend of Hughes', reminisced about the times the pair spent playing cricket together and said Hughes, from this day onwards, would always be with him when he was in the middle.


""This truly must be what they call 'the spirit of cricket.' We must cherish it Cheap Nike SB Stefan Janoski , we must learn from it, we must dig in and get through to tea and we must play on.