HELMETS could soon be compulsory in Ballarat cricket in the wake of the tragic Phillip Hughes incident.
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Ballarat Cricket Association president Rob Florence said there would be consider-
ation given to making helmets compulsory across all levels of cricket after Hughes suffered a horrific injury while playing for South Australia on Tuesday.
The talented batsman was wearing a helmet when he was struck, but was hit in an unprotected area behind the ear.
He remains in a critical condition in intensive care 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 over-age 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),” he told The Courier.
“We have a board meeting next Wednesday and it is definitely something that I will bring up.”
Hughes was hit by a bouncer from paceman Sean Abbott, but Florence said it was not necessarily short balls that could cause damage to batsmen.
“You can see balls come off the corner of the bat or a top edge and they can do just as much damage,” he said.
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, any decision about change would lay with individual cricket associations.
All Sheffield Shield matches have been cancelled for the round as a result of the Hughes incident.
patrick.nolan@fairfaxmedia.com.au