Rogers backs safer helmet directive

Former Test opener says the need for the highest level of protection is paramount for batsmen

Former Test opener Chris Rogers has applauded measures taking helmet choice out of the hands of players.

Cricketers in England, where Rogers is currently captaining county team Somerset, have been directed to use the safer England and Wales Cricket Board-approved helmets this season – bringing them in line with decisions made by Cricket Australia last year.

The decision was met with reluctance from some players, with England captain Alastair Cook and batsman Jonathan Trott initially continuing to use the lids they had worn throughout their careers, before being persuaded to make the switch to the newer models.

Rogers has suffered several blows to the head in recent seasons before his international retirement after last year’s Ashes in England.

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He credits the Masuri helmet he was wearing with limiting the damage when he was struck – and left dazed – by a delivery during the Lord’s Test last year.
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The 38-year-old is more than happy to bat with a stem guard helmet for Somerset, saying it took just one or two days of net sessions to get used to the different model.

Cricket Australia will reportedly soon hand down the results of an inquiry into player safety commissioned in the wake of Phillip Hughes’s death, and Rogers insists safety standard cannot be compromised.

“I think if you have standards they probably need to be met,” Rogers told AAP.

“They do all the testing and I know you can argue that batsmen want to have comfort and be able to see the ball well, but if there’s a rule there it’s to be followed as all the other rules are.

“It’s a tough one. Some guys feel comfortable in a certain helmet but I think the need to get the protection right is paramount.

“If that means you have to wear a certain helmet then I’m a big believer that you have to.”

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Cricket Australia introduced new standards for helmets last year, requiring all Australian and State contracted players to wear a helmet compliant with their ‘State Equipment and Apparel Regulations’.
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“I know there’s a comfort level to it, but things like that if it’s available and it’s protecting that area, and obviously with what we’ve seen, it’s a very dangerous area,” Rogers added.

“If it’s available, why not wear it.”