Virender Sehwag Dislikes the Mandatory Use of Neck Pads
Steve
Smith, who scored back to back centuries in the first Ashes Test 2019 at
Edgbaston, was hit by a bouncer from Jofra Archer in the second Ashes 2019 test
match. As a result, he will not play the third Test at Headingley because of
the concussion he suffered at Lord's.
This
incident led BCCI to reflect on the well-being of Indian cricketers. Recently,
the apex agency informed players of the importance of wearing a concussion
helmet. However, the board has left it up to players to decide whether to use
neck guards on their helmets. The former opener, Virender Sehwag, explained the
problem of using mandatory neck guards. He was almost opposed to such a thing
being made mandatory.
"I've
never used a breast protector in my life... So I don't think I need neck
guards. The batsmen have the bat in hand, the helmet on their heads, what more
do you need? The ICC has only allowed two bouncers".
While
Virender took it lightly, Harbhajan Singh, a former Indian bowler felt that
neck guards could not be made mandatory based on Smith's technique alone.
"I
would always listen to what Sunil Gavaskar has to say about short balls. Look
at the ball until the last moment. But the strange delivery will hit you. It's
all about the technique. Look at the bowlers of yesteryear. Michael Holding,
Malcolm Marshall, Imran Khan and, in this day and age, Shoaib Akhtar, Brett
Lee. They were all fast".
"You
can't tell a young person to copy Steve Smith's technique. It's very unique and
very effective. But only for him. Besides, not every team has a pitcher similar
to Jofra Archer.
