The Dangerous Gentlemanly game
It
was all over in a blink of the eye. That regular short pitched ball from Abbot, a lifting bouncer was climbing on the swivelling Hughes, who in a momentary rush of blood took his
eyes of the ball, went for the hook, played early, ended up exposing his left ear and neck. The 160 gm red cherry thudded into the area below the ear and neck which had no
protection from the helmet. What followed was a tragic on field event
which is a blotch on the once aristocratic Gentleman’s game. (To be fair to Abbot and lend a consoling hand, the replay
will tell you, it wasn't a menacing missile, rising from an uncomfortable
length, but a rank short ball which was a mere 80 mph run of the mill short
pitch delivery)
Debates
on forums, blogs and cyberspace have sprung up by the millions dissecting, analyzing,
discussing the event from multiple views. From the technique, safety, rules of
the game, new laws every possible view point and aspect are in for a detailed
scrutiny. There are even calls for banning the bouncers, which in my view is
preposterous. It is like putting a speed governor of 60 MPH on a Formula 1 car.
In my view the laws of modern day cricket are already loaded heavily on the
side of the batsman and by taking away the bouncer, we will only embolden the
batsman to venture on the front foot and soon Hooks and pulls on the front foot
will seal the fate of the bowler.
The art of setting a field to a short pitch
delivery, the deep fine leg, the square leg combo, and slipping in a Yorker fooling
the batsman who is expecting a snorter is one of the many mind games and plans
that have ruled cricket since inception. The art of pushing a player to the
back foot by sheer pace would be lost and the already emboldened batsmen will
always be on the front foot giving the bowler no chance of getting through to
the stumps or legs.
I strongly believe the key lies
in improving the safety aspects of the game, especially the vulnerable areas
like chest, abdomen and head, apart from getting the technique of getting into
the line – even for short balls, before leaving them alone. While it is true,
fitness levels and hi-tech coaching standards keep the bowlers improving their
pace and precision, innovation in protective gear will ensure that the game
remains safe as it always has been. 
We have come a long way from the
pouchy looking ‘Skull Cap’ designed by the legendary Sunil Gavaskar to the
modern day light weight space age material cricket helmets, the evolution has
been dramatic.
Taking
a leaf out of Formula 1 racing, the basic helmet has given way to a full fledged Head and Neck Support (HANS) system complete with a carbon fiber shoulder
collar, taking safety to a completely new level. Maybe a unique system for cricket
on similar lines for the batsmen and the close in fielders (especially the
forward short leg kinds) may be the solution to making this a safe sport.
This incident in my view, while
tragic (my heart goes out to his family and friends) is a freakish one, and I do
believe that poor Hughes was at the wrong place at the wrong time and on the
wrong end of the barrel.
RIP Hughsey
