Michael Vaughan Slams ‘Ridiculous’ Suggestion Of Banning Bouncers In Under-18 Cricket

Former England Captain Michael Vaughan slams the ‘Ridiculous’ suggestion of banning bouncers in u-18 cricket by the media director of the International Concussion and Head Injury Research Foundation, Michael Turner. Michael Turner recently commented that authorities should look to ban bouncers against the players below 18 years to limit long term complications.

Vaughan was not happy with the suggestion explaining that this would be more dangerous if youngsters are not exposed to short balls in junior cricket and they have to face the bouncers straightway in international cricket. The problem of short balls has arrived after the tragic death of Phillip Hughes took place in November 2014 when he was hit by a Sean Abbott bouncer.

There have been changes in helmet manufacturing and separate protocols have been followed when there is a concussion injury.

Removing Bouncers At All Levels Not A Solution

Michael Vaughan suggested that if bouncers have to be banned at the junior level, then the same has to be applied on the elite level as well which looks more logical. Removing Bouncers from Cricket may not be the perfect option, as the spice to the game ends there. In fact, The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the custodians of the game’s laws, has started a consultation process regarding bouncers.

“It is a ridiculous suggestion and yet another example of the world we live in these days where anything risky is deemed too dangerous,” “It would be much more dangerous for young kids to only be exposed to the short ball for the first time when they play men’s cricket at a high level. They just would not be equipped to face it,” Michael Vaughan wrote in ‘The Telegraph’.

“It is in the nets where young batsmen can be pinned but they have to learn to play the short ball. If we ban it at junior level then we have to ban it at an elite level too,” he added.

Bouncers Ineffective In Junior Cricket

Michael Vaughan also mentioned the bouncers being very less preferred balls in junior cricket. He added that the kids are not physically built enough as bowlers to bowl bouncers and the pitch being slower doesn’t help it anyway. He concluded by saying that protective equipment is good now and only In rare cases, it gets serious.

“I see kids coached at junior level and watch my son play. There is very little short-pitched bowling. The bowlers do not have the physical strength as kids to bowl bouncers and the pitches are too slow anyway,”

“It does happen, but batsmen do not suffer the same repeated blows to the head as contact sports. The danger is bowling in T20. I reckon one day there will be a serious injury suffered by a bowler having the ball hit back at him,” Michael Vaughan further wrote.