Fast bowlers in cricket usually bowl faster than 100 kmph. Batsmen have to learn different protective equipment along with batting skills to prevent this fast ball. This time before the World Cup, Cricket Australia has made a new protective guard mandatory for their cricketers. Protecting the head and neck is very important in our sport. Neck protectors have come a long way in recent years and the decision to make them mandatory has been taken in consultation with experts.

After the tragic death of Phillip Hughes on the cricket field in 2014, Cricket Australia especially thought about the physical safety of batsmen. Then neck or stem guards were designed for batsmen. Cricketers like Steven Smith and David Warner do not like this neck guard at all. However, this time Cricket Australia made it mandatory to attach neck band with helmet in domestic cricket and national cricket from October 1.

This rule does not apply in front of spin bowling, when keeping wickets and when fielding from the front. Steven Smith said in this matter, “I have tried using neck guards while batting in the nets before. By that time my heart rate had increased from about 30 to 40. We felt suffocated. But perhaps these are going to become mandatory. So I have to get used to the neck guard. I’m sure the more I practice with them, my heart rate will drop and everything will be fine.”