Helmets

[Power Raid]

I find this a very curious statement. Why shouldn't we look at bouncers?

Intimidation and the threat of getting hurt is a real part of the game.

Obviously the Hughes incident takes that to an entirely different level.

 

[Smoooothy]

I find this a very curious statement. Why shouldn't we look at bouncers?

i don't have an answer for your question, but this would be like banning the use of cars on wet days because people crash more

 

[madmug]

I find this a very curious statement. Why shouldn't we look at bouncers?

Batsman technique is the key. Bin said before but helmets are meant to protect a batsman from the rouge ball that bounces off a length or comes off the glove/bat edge. A batman should get inside the short ball to play it or leave it.

 

[western royboy]

Batsman technique is the key. Bin said before but helmets are meant to protect a batsman from the rouge ball that bounces off a length or comes off the glove/bat edge. A batman should get inside the short ball to play it or leave it.

Correct - technique is the key word here.

 

[Registered User]

So, what now? Redesigned immediately?

 

[ManWithNoName]

So, what now? Redesigned immediately?

Of course not. Last thing needed is a knee jerk.

 

[zimma]

Could some kind of compromise between current cricket and baseball helmets be a potential option? Obviously modifying would be needed for vision / mobility purposes and probably some extra reinforcement, but I do know many of the baseball or softball designed helmets cover significantly more area at the back / base of the skull and in the ear region.

 

[bombersfan4000]

Batsman technique is the key. Bin said before but helmets are meant to protect a batsman from the rouge ball that bounces off a length or comes off the glove/bat edge. A batman should get inside the short ball to play it or leave it.

very true, now days we see batsmen being hit on the head, than before. with the bigger bats & most pitches now days are flat roads, footwork doesn't seem as important as it did before

 

[Smoooothy]

Think the best thing we as cricket lovers can do now is leave it. I think that the manufacturer's will look at different designs because they know their products have a flaw

Not saying for one moment that I blame the helmet makers too

 

[damochandler]

Could some kind of compromise between current cricket and baseball helmets be a potential option? Obviously modifying would be needed for vision / mobility purposes and probably some extra reinforcement, but I do know many of the baseball or softball designed helmets cover significantly more area at the back / base of the skull and in the ear region.

that's what little league or pewee baseball wear i think

 

[Doodlesweaver]

Think the best thing we as cricket lovers can do now is leave it. I think that the manufacturer's will look at different designs because they know their products have a flaw

Not saying for one moment that I blame the helmet makers too

I don't see that anyone is to blame for this. It really is a chance in a million - probably longer odds that this would happen.

 

[Smoooothy]

I don't see that anyone is to blame for this. It really is a chance in a million - probably longer odds that this would happen.

Yep, there's no blame here. Freak accident

 

[2Knights]

Played schoolboy cricket without helmets. Watched the greats of the 70's and even 80's (particularly Viv Richards and Richie Richardson) play the hook shot, unhelmeted, with great effect. Nowadays, you see many cricketers on TV simply turn their head away from a short pitched ball and wear it on the helmet. The focus now has to go on batting technique (the root cause of this awful accident), not helmet design:

1) NEVER EVER take your eye off the ball. Especially short pitched balls. Even if ducking.
2) Playing the hook or pull, you MUST get the head inside or outside the line of the ball.
3) Know your limitations. Ducking is the easiest and safest way to play a short ball. Bowling bouncers is hard work, fast bowlers soon tire of bowling them for no effect. Don't hook or pull unless you pick the length early and can get into position quickly.

 

[Mr_Moogle]

I know it was a freak accident but surely we should be thinking about redesigning our cricket helmets. I can't help but feel a few extra inches of metal and Phil would probably be alive right now.

 

[zimma]

that's what little league or pewee baseball wear i think

Was more demonstrative, I know there is "senior" ones in similar styles, the ones used in MLB tend to be smooth finish and vary a lot.

 

[Donnie Darko]

MLB helmet worn by Shane Victorino. I think he is the only man in the league who had ear protection on both sides..

 

[western royboy]

Played schoolboy cricket without helmets. Watched the greats of the 70's and even 80's (particularly Viv Richards and Richie Richardson) play the hook shot, unhelmeted, with great effect. Nowadays, you see many cricketers on TV simply turn their head away from a short pitched ball and wear it on the helmet. The focus now has to go on batting technique (the root cause of this awful accident), not helmet design:

1) NEVER EVER take your eye off the ball. Especially short pitched balls. Even if ducking.
2) Playing the hook or pull, you MUST get the head inside or outside the line of the ball.
3) Know your limitations. Ducking is the easiest and safest way to play a short ball. Bowling bouncers is hard work, fast bowlers soon tire of bowling them for no effect. Don't hook or pull unless you pick the length early and can get into position quickly.

Without wanting to bang on about it - if there is a legacy here it should be that technique gets some focus. Ian Chappell - probably one of Australia's best player of the short ball made some very salient points tonight. Firstly that in his day players were much more selective in whether they played the shot, they didn't just pull and hook everything. Helmets aren't the answer to everything, every kid needs to be taught the basics.

 

[Black Diamond]

Without wanting to bang on about it - if there is a legacy here it should be that technique gets some focus. Ian Chappell - probably one of Australia's made some very salient points tonight. Firstly that in his day players were much more selective in whether they played the shot, they didn't just pull and hook everything. Helmets aren't the answer to everything, every kid needs to be taught the basics.

Is that likely to happen though? I won't be surprised to see a helmet subsidy and bouncer rules for junior cricket.

 

[western royboy]

Is that likely to happen though? I won't be surprised to see a helmet subsidy and bouncer rules for junior cricket.

They're already in place - some good must come from this tragedy - that would be it.

 

[zimma]

Is that likely to happen though? I won't be surprised to see a helmet subsidy and bouncer rules for junior cricket.

I played juniors well over a decade ago and no batter or wicket keeper was allowed out without a helmet (or technically box) even back then, think u14/16s they didn't really give a shit if you took off your helmet against a spinner. As for bouncer rules, aside from most "lower level / age" juniors being more likely to launch a head height full toss than a bouncer, pretty damn sure either doing a deliberate bouncer in juniors can get you barred from bowling again that innings... Think first time was a stern warning, second time was no ball and no more overs for you, or something like that, can't remember happened to long ago...

 

[The_Reaper]

At U15s from memory it was 1 bouncer per over

I was right arm slow medium and I remember the umpire laughing and saying that your one 'vicious' bouncer

 

[bombersfan4000]

I don't see that anyone is to blame for this. It really is a chance in a million - probably longer odds that this would happen.

with the unfortunate incident of Hughes, it brought back memories of an old test series back in the 90s, when ponting started make a name for himself.
the series was over in Pakistan. Ponting thought it was to hot to wear a helmet that day, he was facing mohammad sami, in one of the test matches. he was struck in the head by a delivery traveling 140kms. but looking at that & comparing it to the hughes incident, the only conclusion i can come up with is batsmen get struck in the head from time to time but what happened to hughes, from a medium pacer in Abbot, its a unfortunate freak accident

 

[zimma]

with the unfortunate incident of Hughes, it brought back memories of an old test series back in the 90s, when ponting started make a name for himself.

Far out I completely forgot about that one, the first one that came to my mind was a West Indies I think player copping one on the back of the helmet from Brett Lee, was short pitched but stayed down, he went to duck and instead copped it in the head.

 

[bombersfan4000]

Far out I completely forgot about that one, the first one that came to my mind was a West Indies I think player copping one on the back of the helmet from Brett Lee, was short pitched but stayed down, he went to duck and instead copped it in the head.

was it wavell hinds? he got hit on the back of his head, afterwards, he takes it off, looks at the helmet, scratches his head, puts the helmet back on & takes his batting stance ready to face up again
it may have been facing magrath though?

 

[zimma]

was it wavell hinds? he got hit on the back of his head, afterwards, he takes it off, looks at the helmet, scratches his head, puts the helmet back on & takes his batting stance ready to face up again
it may have been facing magrath though?

Nah just searched, was Chiv Chanderpaul.



Remember watching that one on TV and feeling sickened enough... The noise it makes when it hits the helmet, far out. In saying that pretty sure after this hit he ended up scoring a century on us.