Best response to cricketer's tragic death is to increase safety of helmets.
When a cricketer of the profile of Australian batsman Phillip Hughes dies of head injuries after being struck by a bouncer, the sense of shock will inevitably be accompanied by calls for greater regulation of the game.
Already, some are saying bouncers should be outlawed. That would be an over-reaction. As with all sports, there is an element of risk in cricket. But this is no greater now than it was before Hughes was hit.
He was the victim of a freak accident. His passing should not overshadow the fact that cricket is safer now than ever before. Batsmen were far more likely to be harmed in the days when caps adorned heads and pitches were uncovered. Helmets give batsmen far better protection from the potentially lethal projectile hurled their way in the shape of a hard ball. But this major plus has had one unintended consequence. Helmets also give many batsmen a false sense of security, inducing them to think no hook or pull off a fast bowler is beyond them.
That trait, a powerful means of countering a bowler's ability to intimidate, suggests how the game can best respond to Hughes' tragic death. Helmet manufacturers now have every incentive to improve the safety of their product. Nothing is surer than that cricketers will pay far greater attention to that feature of their equipment. The risk inherent in the game will remain. But Hughes' legacy will be to make it that little bit safer.
