Next time you are ordering your mobile cricket nets, bear in mind that cricketers can be exposed to a number of serious risks.
Though you may be nervous of being hit by a cricket ball flying at you, cricketers are actually more at risk from mental illness and lightning strikes than being injured by the ball.
The BBC reported that The Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (Fica) had investigated the risks to cricketers following the death of Phillip Hughes and found a number of inconsistencies.
Though being injured by the ball is not the biggest risk to cricketers, it is still a significant one. Damage to the face in particular can be particularly dangerous. Broken eye sockets, jaws and noses were frequently reported.
The risk is not just to cricketers but also to umpires. The severity of injuries caused by cricket balls has led to the designs of helmets worn by many cricketers being investigated.
Lightning is also a surprisingly high risk, with one lightning storm hitting nine people during a match in South Africa. Playing during lightning storms is not recommended, and you should stop if the weather turns.
Skin cancer is a particularly big problem for cricketers, with many high profile cricket stars undergoing treatment for the disease. Of course, heat stroke and sun stroke are also big risk factors with dehydration, sun burn all occurring quite frequently to crickets during games.
Like many other high profile athletes, cricketers are also at risk of mental illness such as depression, anxiety and obsessive compulsive tendencies, the report concluded.
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