Published: Aug 30, 2015, 02:43 PM (IST)
Edited: Aug 30, 2015, 02:49 PM (IST)
Cricket umpires may now be seen wearing protective gear to protect their head, heart and neck in first-class matches, Tests and one dayers. Chris Kelly, ECB’ s umpires manager has taken umpires susceptibility to injuries seriously. A research was done at Cardiff Metropolitan University. In the research a material (not made of foam) was tested. This material differs from chest protection gear used by English batsman Colin Cowdrey when he was up against the two fastest bowlers of his generation— Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson. Protective armour that protects the vital areas of body like head and heart is being tested. The helmet is expected to be less bulky and easy to wear and take out. READ: An Israeli umpire dies after being hit on the jaw: Is cricket safe?
George Fox, a specialist in sports protection was quoted by cricinfo saying, “Umpires are in a precarious position. Being struck on the shins and thighs is not going to end their careers but the sternum, the heart, the kidneys and the back of the head are vulnerable places. But we do not want a superman syndrome and overheat them or produce head gear that will make them look ridiculous.” Today power-hitting is order of the day, bats are getting better and also the rules are more tuned towards batters. Hence both the main umpire and leg umpire are in danger of getting hit by the ball by feisty batsmen.
“Additional protection would need to fit within the umpire’s conformity and not be distracting to the batsman. The head moves more quickly out of the line than the body and there is a real risk of the ball deflecting off the stumps, but because of the question of insurance, equipment would be an umpire’s personal choice. Any sensible solution would be well received by them and would not necessarily need an ECB stamp of approval. The focus is on non-foam technologies as maintaining unexaggerated body temperature is critical when standing in high emperatures,” Fox added. ALSO READ: Big Bash League 2014-15: Nathan Lyon saves umpire from getting hit
Rob Bailey, who had a long umpiring career at domestic and international level said, “A lot of people are in danger. Bats are massive now and are only going to become more powerful and the ball is pinging off them. Fortunately no-one has been badly hit. I have been struck once this season. Umpires are pretty mobile now but the ball followed me at square leg in a televised match and luckily hit the battery pack strapped on my back. Some umpires are wearing boxes now and chest pads in the future are a consideration.”
