CA makes neck guards mandatory for batters despite Smith and Warner’s disagreement
From October 1, Cricket Australia (CA) will require all Australian and domestic players to wear neck guards on their helmets, forcing stars like Steven Smith and David Warner, among others, who have avoided doing so since their introduction in 2015, to comply.
One of the numerous changes made by CA in playing rules in advance of the 2023–24 season is the requirement for neck guards. Another change is the elimination of the automatic six rule for BBL balls that hit the roof at Marvel Stadium; instead, umpires will use their discretion to determine whether the ball crossed the boundary. The Big Bash League has implemented time limitations on injury stoppages and simplified stumping reviews in an effort to speed up play.
The decision to require neck guards, though, will have the most effect on Australia’s male players because significant figures like Smith, Warner, and Usman Khawaja have refrained from wearing them since their introduction. When playing against bowling that moves quickly or moderately slowly, players must wear neck protectors on their helmets. The regulation does not apply to wicketkeepers, close-in fielders, or facing spinners.
CA makes neck guards mandatory for batters despite Smith and Warner’s preference
Following Phillip Hughes’ passing, neck or stem protectors were developed. In the New South Wales coroner’s inquiry regarding Hughes’ death, Warner, a player in the game at the time Hughes was struck, gave a highly persuasive written testimony about why he would not wear neck or stem protectors.
“I do not and will not wear them,” Warner wrote. “When I turn my head…wearing a StemGuard, it impedes my neck and restricts the movement of my neck when I turn around to face bowlers. I have tried a StemGuard and it digs into my neck. It is uncomfortable and is a distraction.
“With safety, the helmets are getting heavier. As a player, it is what you feel comfortable with. I go with being able to see better, and being able to move my neck.”
Smith has likewise stayed away from donning them, save on a few times. He was not wearing one when Jofra Archer’s blow to him during a Test game at Lord’s in 2019 left him with a concussion. During that series, he mentioned needing to wear one after recovering from a concussion.
“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,” Smith said. “I just feel claustrophobic. I compare it to being stuck in an MRI scan machine.
“They’re probably going to become mandatory, so I’m going to have to get used to them. I’m sure the more I wear them, the more I practice with them, my heart rate will come down and everything will be okay.”
With the exception of his three-game stint with Sussex earlier this year because it was required in county cricket under ECB rules, Smith has avoided using one since wearing one in that series’ Old Trafford Test and making 211 and 82. The game was briefly stopped when Smith was informed he had to get them added to his helmet. He didn’t wear one during the 2023 Ashes because it is not required for international players to wear one during Test matches in England.
Protecting the head and neck is extremely important: CA head
These standards will only apply to Australian international players in all matches, both at home and abroad, despite the fact that international umpires are unable to police them under ICC regulations. CA has also adopted similar neck guard restrictions to the ECB with umpires to enforce their use in domestic matches. Australian players who choose not to wear them will now be subject to sanctions under the CA code of conduct.
“Protecting the head and neck is extremely important in our sport,” CA head of cricket operations Peter Roach said. “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.”
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