Earlier this year, Cricket Australia released a statement which made a strong recommendation for all community cricket clubs to enforce a mandatory helmet policy.

The statement read "Cricket Australia strongly recommends that community associations take all practical steps to adopt the ICC directive and mandate that all junior and senior players wear British Standard 7928:2013 compliant helmets from 2019/20 season onwards when batting, wicket-keeping up to the stumps and fielding in close to the batter."

BCA operations officer Greg Wakeling told The Courier the organisation debated what it would do ahead of the season for over half a year.

Wakeling said by the time the board came to a decision it was too close to the start of the 2019/20 season.

"We've had some pretty robust and lengthy discussions at board level over the past six-to-eight months about the helmet policy," he said.

"We understand Cricket Australia's recommendation... the conversations we had with clubs and within the BCA have sort of been around "do we fully adopt it?"

"By the time we actually got around to making the decision, we found that it was pretty close to the start of the season."

Wakeling said the organisation already recommends clubs follow the policy and confirmed from next season the BCA would be enforcing a helmet policy.

"At this stage it's a strong recommendation from the BCA that the clubs fully adopt the process with the intention that the BCA fully adopt it next season."

This comes as a Federation University PhD student begins his work to help evaluate attitudes and knowledge among cricket participants towards wearing safe headgear.

Dulan Kodikara, a PhD student from School of Health and Life Sciences at Fed Uni, will collaborate with Cricket Australia to survey club cricket participants on why they choose to wear headgear or avoid it.

Kodikara, who himself was hit in the eye through the grill while wearing a helmet in 2010, said the sport has changed and has become more dangerous in recent years.

"Cricket has changed a lot over the past ten years with 20-20 tournaments, increased bowling speeds and improved bat design, he said.

"This may partially account for the increase in head, neck and facial injuries."

Have you signed up to The Courier's variety of news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in Ballarat.