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Sports safety debate reignited

SINGAPORE — The death of 25-year-old cricketer Phillip Hughes has reignited the debate regarding safety in sports, particularly those involving high speed impact, contact and physicality.

Hughes was struck on the neck by a ball, with the force of the blow piercing his vertebral artery. Photo: Getty Images

Hughes was struck on the neck by a ball, with the force of the blow piercing his vertebral artery. Photo: Getty Images

SINGAPORE — The death of 25-year-old cricketer Phillip Hughes has reignited the debate regarding safety in sports, particularly those involving high speed impact, contact and physicality.

Manufacturers of cricket safety equipment have said following Hughes’ accident — described as “freak” by many — that nothing on the market now was likely to have prevented it.

Former England opener Geoffrey Boycott said yesterday that helmets have given a false sense of security to batsmen, who no longer have the necessary technique to deal with fast bowling. Cricket balls are roughly the same shape and size of a baseball, but harder and heavier. Fast bowlers regularly bowl at speeds of 140kmh and short deliveries, known as bouncers, are often used as a tactic to intimidate batsmen.

Former Singapore Sports Institute’s (SSI) medical director Dr Cormac O’Muircheartaigh told TODAY every sport poses an inherent risk, though he believes an inquiry will be conducted. “I believe any changes will affect other sports as well, which could see match protocols being changed. In any sport, accidents can happen, but you must reduce the risk and handle it when something happens,” said the Irishman, who is currently the medical director at The Sports Medicine Lab.

“Cricket is seen as a low contact and low collision risk sport, compared with rugby and boxing. The sporting community and cricket nations will be looking at improving the helmets in terms of coverage, but it will not remove all the risks.”

Hughes was struck on the neck while facing a short-pitched delivery, with the force of the blow piercing his vertebral artery.

Former Singapore cricketer Shehzad Haque called it “a rare incident”, saying: “I was really horrified when I heard about it. Many helmets leave that space unprotected because it’s not a usual place to get hit by the ball.

“No one could foresee this happening. This is all part and parcel of any sport and there is no such thing as 100 per cent protection.”

Safety equipment manufacturers also say advances in cricket helmet technology are being stymied by a lack of enforcement of international safety standards and the reluctance of elite-level players, who prefer the game’s traditional aesthetics, to adopt new styles.

That may now change with former International Cricket Council chief Jagmohan Dalmiya calling on the game’s administrators to work on upgrading safety standards to prevent a similar tragedy from occurring again. EMMANUEL PHUA and REUTERS

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