Comments by "Helmuth Schultes" (@helmuthschultes9243) on "American Reacts to Top 10 Bouncer Face Shots in Cricket" video.

  1. In my school days, 1960s, cricket and AFL football were the main sports in summer and winter played as official school sports. Soccer, hockey basketball and volleyball were options on rare occasions. For cricket we were given gloves with rubber spikes strip's to protect fingers, leg pads and groin protector, NO head protection at all. Most of the protective gear was well past useful, many ginger rubber backings were falling off, groin protectos cracked, leg pads falling apart, padding falling out. Rare were new equipment. In my age group were two cricket fanatics who were top batters and worse budding fast bowlers, who were very precise too. One bowler when bowling in particular caused some of us either walked off or purposely stepped aside to be bowled out . It was just too risky facing this "rocket ball" that regularly caused injuries. When lucky only bruises but too teeth out, knocked out students, and even a broken wrist and broken fingers. The school treated it as lack of performance by injured student, not excessive bowler speed. Lack of head protection was not even considered. On batting these two could remain in all afternoon, as no one of us normal students could bowl them out. Cricket was a dull dangerous time under scorching sun, getting sunburns, standing in mid oval, In up to 40°C heat if fielding, or standing at field edge for up to 4 hrs, no refreshments except 2hrs forc10 min break. A share way that most of us hated cricket. I mainly tried to play soccer, volleyball or basket ball. On cricket I believe it is the source of the saying from Indua, "Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the mid day sun", very applicable to going out in the open standing around the field or two batas men at either end of the pitch, in full glaring sun for hours in high heat. All fine in Brish climate, very mild and often cloud covered. Not so nice in hot sunny climates. Heat stroke not uncommon.
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  2. Not only batsman getting hit got injuries, while fielding you risked a hot ball directed at fielding positions near the batter, which are by design in common directions of ball flight, Even high flying ball you try catching , if you miss the catch can cause injury of significance, as no protective gear on fielders. Just catching the hard ball in bare hands is painful, many twisted fingers, even broken fingers or bones on the palm.. A good head hit too as you try to get under the flying ball and miss the catch. No cricket has definite risks.
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