CRICKET is one of the most dangerous sports you can play if not the most dangerous ball sport you can compete in.
Cricket is generally seen as a low-risk sport in terms of physical danger but there is always a potential for injuries.
Cork, string, leather and gut may not seem too lethal by themselves but when combined together into a ball they can cause serious harm and can even end people’s lives.
When the ball is thrown by a professional bowler, it can build up to a speed of up to 161 kilometres per hour.
A cricket ball injury to the head can cause concussion, lack of consciousness, vision impairment, severe brain damage or fatality in the most serious circumstances.
Kacey Laird is a cricketer who plays for the North West Cricket Union as an international prospect in Ireland and is currently suffering from blackouts due to a hit to the head by a fast-flying cricket ball.
Laird said: “Cricket is quite a dangerous sport when it gets to the higher levels as when you are beginner you don’t play with softer balls. The more experienced you are the more risky the sport gets but it’s more rewarding as you go up the ranks.
“I recently had an injury to the head. I’m now out for six weeks but properly should be more because I keep having blackout moments. I’ve broken my ankle, multiple fingers, and sprains because of how hard the ball is.”
The most common injuries in cricket include broken fingers, fractures, concussions and rotator cuff damage.
A rotator cuff injury is when the shoulder’s four muscles (supraspinatus, infraspinatus, subscapularis and teres minor)that help stabilise the joint are strained or torn.
The cricket superstar said: “The worst injury I have witnessed is a guy breaking five of his fingers trying to catch a ball but due to the speed at which it was flying towards him it bent and shattered the bones .”
“Often, when you get an update around injuries, they give a grade to the tear. That hasn’t come with this, but it does say ‘significant’ calf strain so it’s clearly not just a little tear.
“Bad news for Nathan Lyon. Bad news for Australia”
Sky Sports’ Michael Atherton reacting to the news on commentary
With the heavy equipment and high pressure that comes during a game, injuries are prone to happen however they aren’t spoken about more like ACL damages in football or broken bones in rugby.
