Should the bouncer be banned following the tragic death of Phillip Hughes? Or should the number of such deliveries be cut down from a maximum of two to one per over?
Aunshuman Gaekwad, a brave batsman, was struck a nasty blow on his left ear by a Michael Holding lifter on a juicy Sabina Park pitch during the tour of the Caribbean in 1976. He spent two days in ICU, was operated twice in India since his ear drum was shattered and still has some hearing problems.
“We did not wear helmet those days, and an inch here or there, I would not be talking to you now,” he told The Hindu .
Despite his ‘near-death’ experience, Gaekwad believed bouncers should remain a part of the game.
“That is among the greatest challenges of batting. There is an element of risk involved in every sport. What happened to Hughes was very sad and we all mourn his death but we must realise it was a freak accident. Do not limit the bouncers further or ban it. Period.”
He added, “Sunil Gavaskar played the quickest of pacemen and the nastiest of bouncers without a helmet and even the skull cap he wore later in his career was little more than an eyewash. It offered him virtually no protection. It’s a lot about technique, how you cope with the rising balls.”
Gaekwad elaborated, “There was no limit on bouncers then and we played that series in the West Indies without the chest or the arm-guard. And the thigh-guard was very flimsy. Conquering fear is a vital attribute of sport.
“It’s a lot about technique and sound back-foot play when it comes to taking on short-pitched stuff from the quicks. Gavaskar will tell you that,” he added.
ImbalanceJavagal Srinath, among the quickest bowlers the country has produced, said, “Removing the bouncer or limiting it to one per over will create great imbalance in the game. It will be a very skewed way of looking at the game.”
He noted, “If you come to think of it, there can be no guarantee against death on the field of play. A batsman can smash a ball straight and it can hit the bowler in the head to kill him. Do you then want all bowlers to be wearing helmets?
“Intimidation is a part of the strategy for a paceman. Strategy is not all about intimidation. That is the distinction we have to make. The bouncer does test the guts and technique of a batsman. If you think about it, there is danger in every walk of life. People have lost their lives after tripping down the stairs.”
Should the helmet offer greater protection to the batsmen? “The focus will be on the protective gear after a moment such as this.
“My heart goes out to Hughes but then freak injuries, very occasionally, do occur in the game.”
Former India allrounder Robin Singh said, “To put an end to bouncers or to curtail it further will create great imbalance in game.
“Already the pacemen are suffering because of flat tracks, better bats and shorter boundaries. If you take out the bouncer as well, everything will be in batsmen’s favour.” He asked, “Will the Australians themselves be in favour of ending the bouncer?
“I am sure they will not. They believe in hard, aggressive cricket. I feel sorry for Hughes but doing away with bouncers is not the answer. There will be less of a contest between the bat and the ball.”
Should batsmen be compulsorily be made to wear helmets that protect their head and neck completely?
“I think it should be left to the individual choice of the batsman. Covering the neck fully will make it very difficult for him to move his head. And there could always be a part that could be exposed,” said Robin.
While the cricketing world has been shocked by Hughes’s death, the bouncer is here to stay.
