Cricket Australia makes neck guards compulsory for players at domestic and international level
Cricket Australia (CA) has implemented a new rule requiring Australian players at the domestic and international level to wear a neck guard from October 1. Players not complying with the new regulations will be sanctioned according to the guidelines.
Neck protectors are often fixed to the helmet, with select players opting for it since Phil Hughes' tragic death as a result of a blow to the sensitive region. However, there was no rule until now to use it, with the final decision often resting with the player.
CA had suggested making the neck guard a compulsory part of the gear, but several experienced players like David Warner, Steve Smith, and Usman Khawaja were not entirely keen on it.
Smith has had first-hand experience of being hit on the hit and sustaining a concussion. He was hit by a Jofra Archer bouncer in the Lord's Test of the 2019 Ashes and had to sit out the subsequent encounter.
Recently, all-rounder Cameron Green also sustained a concussion after being hit by a bouncer during the first ODI against South Africa.
Opining that the neck guard makes him 'claustrophobic', Smith said back in 2019:
"I've tried them before and I tried them the other day when I was batting (in the nets) and I reckon my heart rate went up about 30 or 40 straight away. I just feel claustrophobic. I compare it to being stuck in an MRI scan machine."
Fellow veteran Warner had also dismissed wearing a neck guard as he found it to be a distraction.
The new mandate will now see players wearing the neck guard across all forms of competition in Australia, including the Marsh Sheffield Shield, Marsh One-Day Cup, Women's National Cricket League, and both the men's and women's Big Bash.
Smith had worn a neck protector while playing for Sussex before the 2023 Ashes. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has had the rule for mandatory neck protectors in place since October 2022.
"Protecting the head and neck is extremely important in our sport" - Cricket Australia
Phil Hughes' death is still a dark spot in cricket, and more so in Australian cricket. The talented left-handed batter collapsed to the ground after being hit on the back of his neck by a Sean Abbott bouncer. In a bid to avoid such a tragic incident again, Cricket Australia has implemented this rule, although the seeds of it were laid a long time back.
CA's Head of Cricket Operations and Scheduling, Peter Roach said:
"Protecting the head and neck is extremely important in our sport. The neck protector product has come a long way in recent years and the decision to make them mandatory comes off the back of a lot of advice and consultation with a wide range of experts and stakeholders."
He added:
"We've certainly seen over a period of time players wearing them and becoming accustomed to wearing them."
Will the neck protector rule be adopted by the ICC as well in the coming years? Let us know what you think.