Umpires to be issued helmets for World T20

The International Cricket Council will issue all umpires with helmets in the upcoming World T20 tournament in India as part of a growing trend towards the increased safety of officials in the sport.

The move comes on the back of two umpires being hospitalised in the past two months after being struck by deflected straight hits from batsmen.

In December, Australian John Ward was hospitalised after being hit on the head during a Ranji Trophy match in India, while English umpire Richard Kettleborough received a nasty blow to the shin while officiating an ODI between Australia and India in Canberra on January 20, spending the night in hospital before being cleared to fly to Sydney for the following match.

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Last month, Australian umpire Gerard Abood wore a helmet during a KFC Big Bash League clash at Etihad Stadium, a move that was watched with interest by his peers around the globe, while Ward has worn a helmet in One-Day International matches.

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"In the last three or four years, the fitness and the strength of the players has increased dramatically, and the bats are so much better than ever before, so the guys are hitting the ball a lot harder," Kettleborough told cricket.com.au.

"We've seen some umpires being hit in recent times and it's becoming quite dangerous, certainly in T20 and one-day cricket especially.

"I know for the T20 World Cup we're all going to be issued helmets. We're not obliged to wear them, it's totally up to us, but it's certainly something I'll be taking on board and thinking about.

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"Our safety, as with the players, is paramount. The non-strikers are in danger too, as is the bowler in his follow-through, there's no doubt about that.

"It's only a matter of time before someone gets hit quite badly."

The issue of umpire safety has been a prominent one in recent times and over the past 12 months, Cricket Australia has been in discussions with other national boards regarding the matter.

"It's no different to any other workplace – we want to make sure that our employees are safe," a CA spokesperson told cricket.com.au.

"We've done surveying of umpires within Australia and overseas as well, and we've had some great results from that.

"From there, we've been looking at what measures can be put in place to mitigate risk of ball strike for umpires, and also what types of protective equipment could be suitable."

Chief among the headwear options at this stage for umpires is the traditional cricket batting helmet, while baseball helmets and masks are being considered. CA is also in discussions with several manufacturers regarding the design of a specific, fit-for-purpose umpiring headwear.