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While cricket as a sport is not considered dangerous by many, the players do suffer serious injuries while taking part in it. The leather ball has the capacity to cause significant injuries, especially to the face and head. That’s where the role of cricket gear becomes vital for the players, whether they are competing in school, college, club, or international matches.
A batter needs to be fully equipped with cricket gear to protect themselves while facing the fast bowlers, who have the capacity to hurl deliveries at high speeds. The gloves, pads, thigh guard, arm guard, chest guard, and box are important parts of cricket gear, but none of them quite compare to the value of a helmet.
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The helmet has gone through significant advancement over the years, due to the concussion from preventable head injuries among players becoming commonplace. The introduction of a neck protector, which is placed on the back of a helmet, happened in the wake of Phillip Hughes’ death in 2014, when he was struck by a leather ball on the back of his head.
Steve Smith, David Warner reluctant to wear neck protectors
While the technological innovation in helmets has brought about a significant reduction in fatal head injuries to cricketers, some of them are still reluctant to wear neck protectors along with them. David Warner has said that the neck protector restricts the movement of his neck when he turns around to face the bowlers, which he cites as a reason for not wearing it.
Steve Smith talked about how wearing a neck protector along with the helmet, during a net session, raised his heart rate and made him feel claustrophobic. The former Australian captain has already been on the receiving end of a concussion at the hands of Jofra Archer’s bouncer, which had struck the side of his head, during the second Test of the Ashes 2019 at the Lord’s in London.
