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From October 1, Cricket Australia will require all
Australian and domestic players to wear neck protectors on their helmets,
forcing stars like Steven Smith and David Warner, among others, who have
avoided doing so since their introduction in 2015, to comply.
One of the numerous changes made to CA’s playing rules
in advance of the 2023–24 season is the requirement for neck guards. Another
change is the elimination of the automatic six rule for BBL balls that hit the
roof at Marvel Stadium; instead, umpires will use their discretion to determine
whether the ball crossed the boundary. The Big Bash leagues has implemented
time limitations on injury stoppages and simplified stumping reviews in an
effort to speed up play.
The decision to require neck guards, though, will have
the most effect on Australia’s male players because significant figures like
Smith, Warner, and Usman Khawaja have refrained from wearing them since their
introduction. When playing against bowling that moves quickly or moderately
slowly, players must wear neck protectors on their helmets. The regulation does
not apply to wicketkeepers, close-in fielders, or facing spinners.
Following Phillip Hughes’ passing, neck or stem
protectors were developed. In the New South Wales coroner’s inquiry regarding
Hughes’ death, Warner, a player in the game at the time Hughes was struck, gave
a highly persuasive written testimony about why he would not wear neck or stem
protectors.
“I do not and will not wear them,” Warner
wrote. “When I turn my head…wearing a StemGuard, it impedes my neck and
restricts the movement of my neck when I turn around to face bowlers. I have
tried a StemGuard and it digs into my neck. It is uncomfortable and is a
distraction.
“With safety, the helmets are getting heavier. As
a player, it is what you feel comfortable with. I go with being able to see
better, and being able to move my neck.”