Essential Safety Equipment for Cricketers

As with any sport, the game of cricket comes with its hazards and can result in minor to severe injuries whether played in the park between friends or for a high-pressure professional match. To ensure optimal cricket safety, you must have a well-stocked cricket first aid kit with a full selection of the correct first aid equipment on hand, and cricket coaches should have a good knowledge of first aid skills and know how to prevent and treat cricket injuries.

On top of this, having the right cricket safety equipment in use throughout a game or training match will go a long way in reducing the risk of severe injury. We go through all the essential cricket safety gear in a comprehensive cricket safety equipment list so you can keep yourself and your team safe while playing a great game.

The Definitive Cricket Safety Equipment List

To ensure players’ safety, cricket coaches and clubs should ensure all teammates have access to high-quality, well-fitting cricket safety gear to protect them from injury while training and playing. If you’re a cricketer or cricket fan, you’ll probably have seen most of the following pieces of cricket safety equipment in action.

Cricket Helmet (with a visor and grille)

Cricket helmets are an essential piece of cricket safety equipment that could save a life.

At an international level, cricket helmet safety falls under legislation to ensure they are compliant with British Standard BS7928:2013 and meet the requirements set by the International Cricket Council (ICC). The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) also requires that all cricket helmets are compliant with British Standards.

Since 2016, all first-class cricket games in England require all batsmen, wicket-keepers and fielders closer than 8 yards from the wicket to wear helmets. This is mandatory even when facing medium-pace and spin bowling and is considered essential cricket batsman safety equipment in particular.

For cricket safety at any level, cricket helmets should always be worn by wicket-keepers, batsmen and bowlers, as well as fielders playing close to the wicket to protect their heads from injury. Being struck directly with a cricket ball bowled at full speed presents a major risk of severe injury ranging from a concussion and losing consciousness, to impaired vision, broken bones, and brain damage.

cricketer with headguard and gloves on with bat 1

Most cricketers at every level now wear a helmet while batting, and all under 18 players must wear one as standard to ensure cricket helmet safety for all minors.

Most specialist cricket suppliers only stock BS-compliant helmets that have passed required safety tests. Some important things to consider when choosing your cricket helmet are:

Is it comfortable?
Does it fit well?
Does it stay stable when you’re running?
Does it have a kite mark to prove it’s compliant with British Standards?

TIP: For optimal cricket helmet safety, most helmets are designed to be adjustable to ensure the best fit. For improved protection, adjust the helmet settings to position the gap between the peak and grille over the face to be narrower. This will prevent cricket balls from passing under the visor whilst still allowing good visibility for the cricketer.

Pads or Guards

Legs

Thigh and shin guards are popular cricket safety equipment for leg protection, forming a protective padded layer between the cricket ball and players’ bodies. The two batters and the wicket-keeper usually wear leg guards. Fielders who are fielding in close proximity to the batters may wear shin guards under their trousers, too.

Shin pads can vary depending on the role of the player using them. Wicket-keeper’s pads fit slightly different to batters’ shin pads due to the position they stand in. Both types are essential pieces of cricket safety gear to protect the shin bone from potentially bone-shattering impact from the ball.

Thigh pads, when worn on the inside of your trousers can prevent serious bruising on your upper leg muscles if hit by the ball. The size and fit of your leg pads, thigh pads in particular, can restrict movement and become a burden when running. They are also less effective if you secure the protective padding incorrectly.

TIP: When choosing your leg guard size, ensure that your knee is lined up smoothly and with the shin guard and that the thigh guard sits over the middle of your knee. Check that your thigh guard isn’t getting in the way of your hands when you stand in batting position, too.

Arms

Arm and elbows pads are less popular among cricketers but can be an effective piece of cricket safety gear for bowlers who need to protect their arms.

Some batters also wear elbow guards to protect their bodies. Others choose not to use them at all since they reduce mobility.

Chest

More serious, high-level cricket players wear chest guards to protect their ribs and upper abdomen. They are a highly protective piece of cricket safety equipment that’s well worth considering if players face fast bowling regularly, shielding delicate internal organs from harmful impact.

Gloves

Certain team players are permitted to wear gloves during a cricket match, such as the batter and wicket-keeper. Fielders are not permitted to wear gloves as they could give them the advantage of a catching aid during play. Batters should wear protective gloves thickly padded above the fingers and on the thumb of the hand to protect against impact from the ball. A good fit in a pair of gloves is essential, and players can choose between right-handed and left-handed options. The looser the fit of your gloves, the less protection you’ll get from this important piece of cricket safety equipment.

Wicket-keepers should wear specially designed gloves as a part of their cricket safety gear. They fall under specific guidelines in professional and international cricket, but in general, they are padded and include webbing between the thumb and index fingers to maximise on protection by reducing the impact of the cricket ball as it reaches the hand.Wicket-keeper’s gloves for the wicket-keeper usually include webbing between the thumb and index fingers.

Abdominal Guard or Cup with Jockstrap

Members of men’s cricket teams may choose to wear an abdominal guard, also called a box or protective cup. Batters, in particular, are at risk of any area of their body being hit by the ball with force. In high-level cricket, an abdominal guard is considered an important piece of cricket safety equipment to protect the groin area. They are usually constructed from a high-density plastic with a padded edge and need to be secured using a jock strap to keep it in place to protect sensitive areas from the ball.

Taping and Strapping

The use of taping and strapping techniques are common across multiple sports disciplines and can be an essential protective measure used in cricket safety to protect players from injury or prevent further damage to healing areas. We cover everything you need to know about sports tapes and their uses on our blog.

Whether a cricket player uses zinc oxide tape or a cohesive bandage to support a wrist injury, or kinesio tape to manage an overuse injury in their shoulder, the ECB stipulates that crickets can only wear white tape during professional matches. This includes all forms of bandages, strapping, taping and supports.