How to choose the best cricket kit
How to choose the best cricket kit
A cricket kit is a piece of essential equipment for every cricket player to safeguard against any injury. One should focus on the quality of the kit and allocate a significant amount of budget towards purchasing the right cricket kit.
Cricketers have to heavily rely upon their kits for everything from an actual match to practice sessions. A cricket kit should be purchased based on the height, weight, and torso of the player.
A cricket kit contains all the relevant components that are designed to protect you from any injury.
1. Helmet
After Australian cricketer, Phil Hughes’ death in 2014, International Cricket Council (ICC) has made it mandatory for batsmen to wear a helmet. Often, International cricketers are spotted wearing an additional neck guard too.
Investing in a good helmet is necessary for complete protection. The helmet should fit exactly above the eyebrow and the ears, till the bump below the head.
Also, carefully examine the internal padding inside for better support and protection. Some advanced helmets will have adjustable settings to adjust the position of the grille.
2. Leg guards & Arm guard
When playing with a leather ball, one doesn’t want their knees, including lower legs to suffer any injury. Leg guards are used to protecting the knees and the area below it from the impact of a fastball.
Getting the right size guard is critical as a larger one would be an obstacle while running, and a smaller one might not serve the purpose. While slowing going out of fashion, arm guards still are a crucial piece of your cricket kit to protect your arms against a fast balling attack or on a rough pitch.
Opt for an arm guard that does not hamper your movements and enables you to play your natural shots.
3. Abdominal guard
Abdo guard or box is used to protect the groin region and is an absolute must for batsmen and even fielders fielding closer to the batsmen.
It is critical to choose the guard that you find comfortable and can wear it for longer durations. There are no pre-defined rules or restrictions on leg and arm guards. So, the design will vary from one manufacturer to another.
For e.g., The design of wings or knee roll of a batting leg guard will be different across manufacturing.
4. Chest guard
A chest guard is equipment made exclusively to protect the chest area, generally used by amateurs. Most professional crickets do not use them as they are known to restrict movement.
However, you can still wear one if you feel that it can help you play your game without any fear of being hit by the ball.
5. Thigh pads
Thigh pads are necessary equipment used to protect the thighs from any severe injury. While sometimes ignored during practice, it is a critical piece of equipment that saves the day for you.
Opt for a thigh pad which is made with premium soft material to prevent any discomfort. Ideal thigh guard should strap on tightly around your thigh while not bruising your skin due to friction.
6. Gloves
Gloves are an essential gear as they help in protecting the hands and especially the wrist from possible sprains and injuries. Gloves can also provide a firm hold over the cricket bat for a tighter grip and promote shock absorption while picking the shots.
Since the leather ball is heavy, investing in a good pair of gloves is a must. While choosing a glove, first and the foremost decide upon the material type. Cotton, Nylon, and Leather are the three-material type widely used in the manufacturing of gloves.
Cotton gloves enable easy movement of fingers and can be bought at a comparatively lower price. However, they trap heat for long periods and lack optimal sweat absorption.
Leather on gloves is used to improve the quality, it is soft, supportive, and extremely comfortable for the player. They are usually priced on the higher side but are an optimal investment in the long run. Leather as material is superior to help protect from impact of the ball and prevent any injury.
7. Cricket bat
The right bat will determine how you will evolve as a batsman and how your game develops. Some of the factors that need to be considered before selecting the right bat are the willow type, weight, height, blade design, etc.
You can check more details about selecting the right bat from our article here. {Add link} It is important to remember that with bats, the feel is more important than any other factor.
8. Shoes
Shoes are an integral part of the cricket kit. Cricket shoes can be chosen based upon the type of ground one is playing on. For a harder surface ground, shoes with rubber soles are ideal as they build a good grip.
Bowlers can opt for shoes with rubber spikes at the front and the back with rubber heels for additional support around the ankle.
for cricket helmets : click here
for bowlers spikes : click here
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