Ballarat Cricket Association president Rob Florence said there would be consideration given to making helmets compulsory across all levels of cricket after Hughes suffered an horrific injury while playing for South Australia on Tuesday.

The talented batsmen was wearing a helmet when he was struck on Tuesday, but was hit in an unprotected area behind the ear and was placed in an induced coma.

He remains in a critical condition in hospital.

Florence said the nasty incident would prompt the BCA to consider making helmets compulsory.

Currently, all juniors are forced to wear helmets while batting and wicketkeeping at the stumps, as are underage cricketers playing at senior level.

However, there is no law governing overage senior players.

Florence said although all clubs encouraged players to wear helmets and the vast majority did so, there were still some cricketers who took to the crease unprotected.

"It will certainly be something that we will look at (making helmets compulsory)," Florence told The Courier.

"We have a board meeting next Wednesday and it is definitely something that I will bring up."

Central Highlands regional cricket manager Campbell Waring said Cricket Victoria or Cricket Australia could make guidelines or recommendations surrounding the use of helmets, but ultimately the decision lay with individual cricket associations.

All Sheffield Shield matches have been cancelled for the round as a result of the Hughes incident.