Our Blog

Cricket has been around for a long time and as the sport has evolved, so has the need for protective safety equipment. Safety equipment is in place to help players improve their performance but also protect them from injuries them whilst playing, keeping the body as safe as possible.

Muscle injuries and strains are the most common type of injury when it comes to playing cricket, but if a player is hit with a cricket ball at high speed without any protective equipment on, it can cause significant damage. Specific cricket safety equipment has been developed to protect against ball related injuries.

Safety equipment for wicket keeping and batting

Cricket safety equipment is slightly different for batsmen and wicket keepers because the ball is coming directly at them, putting them at a much higher risk of injuries. This risk requires a significant amount of protective equipment to keep players safe.

• Abdominal guard – An abdominal guard is used by both batsmen and wicket keepers to protect the crotch area from the impact of the ball. These are usually a hollow cup structure that is inserted into cricket shorts that have a specific holder for the abdominal guard.
• Helmet – Helmets are used by batsmen who are on strike to prevent against head injuries from the ball. They also come with metal guards around the face for extra protection. Wicket keepers do not have to wear these, but they are advised in order to prevent serious injuries.
• Gloves – Gloves are absolutely essential for batsmen and wicket keepers to wear when they are playing cricket. The gloves that batsmen wear are heavily padded on the outside of the hands, so they are fully protected when holding a cricket bat. Wicket keeping gloves are still padded but also feature webbing between the thumb and the index finger to assist when catching the ball.
• Leg pads – Leg pads are used by both batsmen and wicket keepers to protect their shins from the impact of the cricket ball. Leg pads for batsmen are slightly different to those for wicket keepers, with the batting pads featuring wings to offer more protection where it is needed the most.
• Chest guard – Chest guards are worn by batsmen to protect their body from the speed of the ball if it hits them. Some players may not wear them as it can reduce mobility, but this does come at an extra risk.
• Arm guard – Similar to the chest guard, this is worn by batsmen to protect their arm from the ball when batting, but not all players wear them due to their size. There are some alternatives to large arm guards, such as the ESCU Cricket Wrist Guard which has a low profile ambidextrous design which doesn’t compromise freedom and comfort for protection.
• Thigh guard – Thigh guards are another extra form of protection to soften the blow of any incoming cricket balls to the exposed thigh. These are worn under shorts/trousers when playing cricket.
• Sunglasses – Sunglasses are usually worn by fielders and wicket keepers to help them see clearly on really bright sunny days. It also helps protect their eyes from harmful UV rays whilst they are playing cricket.