Published: Aug 12, 2015, 05:57 PM (IST)
Edited: Aug 12, 2015, 05:57 PM (IST)
Angus Porter, the CEO of Professional Cricketers’ Association has come out hard on the ICC saying that the governing body’s lackadaisical attitude towards encouraging the manufacture of better helmets is not good for the future of the sport. He said that the governing body has still not learnt after the death of Phillip Hughes, who died when he was struck by a bouncer on the back of his neck. He added that the ICC should strictly enforce minimum safety standards on helmets which it is not doing. In June ICC had given its consent to implement the British Safety Standard which was founded in 2013 for cricket helmets for cricketers playing at the international level. READ: Phil Hughes passes away
In a conversation with telegraph.co.uk Porter said, “Issues like health and safety are ones where there is a huge benefit in international co-ordination. If we don’t have the ICC playing that role then it’s hard to see who can – and we’ll end up with each board going its own way. If the ICC does not enforce the standards than it is bound to increase the chances of avoidable injury.”
It needs to be mentioned here that Hughes was hit badly on his neck area where there is no protection in the contemporary helmets. The new helmets standards do not compulsorily ask that there should be extra protection for the neck portion. This is even though the new helmet designs do offer an extra protection for the neck area. Tony Irish, who is the executive chairman of the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA) has lauded the new safety standards. However at the same time he said that there is no point in setting up standards if they are not followed by all the cricketing nations. ALSO READ: Phillip Hughes — sound, fury and silence
Irish said, “If you leave it country to country you’re going to get a variation in the minimum standards and how they’re applied – that’s our issue. That needs to be centrally applied. Application in different countries is the issue in our experience – you sign up but what does that mean? There is no uniform requirement across countries for wearing of helmets, not only when batting but for wicketkeepers, certain close fielders and when batting in training.”
He said that this should be addressed by a central authority. The ICC needs to be more welcoming to this approach saying that the countries should not be forced to accept the regulations, this is not liberalism. “If everyone accepts the safety standards I don’t understand why there’s a problem in regulating it? It’s the same with a number of other safety issues – not just on helmets.”
An ICC spokesman summarised its stand: “The ICC agrees that there are benefits from international co-ordination of some player health and safety issues, and the ICC has a strong focus and a strong track record of providing leadership in this area.”
Porter said that the progress has been slow. “It has taken much longer for manufacturers to get helmets credited to the new design than any of us thought that it would. We will never completely eliminate tragic accidents,” he concluded.
