There are recorded instances of cricketers using scarves and padded caps to protect themselves throughout cricket history. Patsy Hendren was one of the first to use a self-designed protective hat in the 1930s. Helmets were not in common use until the 1970s. The first helmets were seen in World Series Cricket, with Dennis Amiss being the first player to consistently wear a helmet which was a customised motorcycle helmet. Mike Brearley was another player who wore his own design. Tony Greig was of the opinion that they would make cricket more dangerous by encouraging bowlers to bounce the batsmen. Graham Yallop of Australia was the first to wear a protective helmet to a test match on 17 March 1978, when playing against West Indies at Bridgetown. Later Dennis Amiss of England popularised it in Test cricket. Helmets began to be widely worn thereafter. The last batsmen at the highest level to never wear a helmet throughout his career was Viv Richards, who retired from the international game in 1991.
As of 2017, the ICC has refused to pass laws requiring the wearing of helmets, rather leaving the decision to each test nation to decide for themselves. However, although it is not obligatory for a batsman to wear a helmet, should he chose to do so, the helmet must comply with specific safety requirements, a rule all the test playing nations have agreed to. In first class cricket, as of 2016, the England and Wales Cricket Board requires all batsmen, wicketkeepers and fielders closer than 8 yards from the wicket to wear helmets. This is mandatory even when facing medium-pace and spin bowling. New Zealand Cricket and the Board of Control for Cricket in India do not require batsmen to wear helmets.
Opposition from players
Many players refused to wear helmets, either believing that they obstructed their vision when batting, or, just as in the similar debate in ice hockey, feeling helmets were unmanly, a view held by many spectators. Englishman Dennis Amiss was the first player to wear a helmet in the modern game, during a World Series Cricket match, for which both the crowd and other players mocked him. Australian captain Graham Yallop was booed when he wore one in a 1978 match against the West Indies and West Indian captain Viv Richards viewed such protection as cowardly. India captain Sunil Gavaskar believed that helmets slowed down a batsman's reflexes and refused to wear one. In more recent times, many batsmen have felt that modern helmet designs have become increasingly obstructive. Most notably, England captainAlastair Cook for a time refused to wear a new helmet complying with ICC safety regulations since he felt it was distracting and uncomfortable. His England teammate Jonathan Trott also refused for similar reasons, and teammate Nick Compton felt that the new regulations were overzealous.
Cricket helmet manufacturers
There are a number of cricket helmet manufacturers and brands available. Many professional cricket players choose to wear the Masuri cricket helmet with the brand being worn by approximately 70% of players competing in the 2019 Cricket World Cup. Masuri are also the original inventors of the first neck protector, an additional piece of protective equipment that attaches to the back of the cricket helmet, when they launched their StemGuard in 2015.
