We need better medical care at cricket venues
It has been a week of cricket education for the knowledgeable and discerning. So deep has been the impact of Phillip Hughes’ demise that we have heard all kinds of discussion on how unsafe cricket is. From improving helmets for batsmen to doing away with the bouncer -- a legitimate delivery -- arguments have been forceful. It is as if one freak death has shaken the cricketing fraternity the world over to such an extent that it seems sport stretches from life to death.
This is not the first time a batsman has died after being hit on the body, and in the long history of the game some cricketers have lost their lives even while fielding. What has made Hughes’ untimely death even more tragic is that he was wearing a helmet. Replays show he was hit below the ear, which turned out to be fatal despite a brain surgery.
The first Test between India and Australia has been postponed and will not begin at the Gabba in Brisbane on December 4. This is a period of mourning for cricket lovers and till the time Hughes’ coffin is lowered into the grave in his hometown of Macksville in New South Wales, it would be insensitive to ask how the Brisbane Test will be accommodated. Given the bizarre scheduling of the series, there is a big gap between the second and third Tests, so this one can be accommodated.
At home, there is turmoil for cricket administrators with the Supreme Court pulling up the men who matter. What happens to cricket czar N. Srinivasan and the two "guilty" IPL teams - Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals - will become clear in the coming days. The Board of Control for Cricket in India election is due and the Supreme Court has said people named in the Justice Mukul Mudgal report should stay away from it.
This is perhaps the right time for cricket administrators at home to take the lead and plan something good for the sport. I am not talking about benefit matches for retired cricketers or ensuring how much money the BCCI can make. In the aftermath of the Hughes incident, this is the right time to get proper medical facilities in place at our cricket venues. When it comes to medical facilities in sport, there is a certain standard which is expected. If you take a high-profile sport like football, the moment a player gets injured on the field, medical experts rush on to the field with a stretcher. When Hughes was felled by a Sean Abbott bouncer, the Sydney Cricket Ground wasted little time in rushing medical help. That Hughes eventually died was not due to wastage of time, but the impact of the blow he sustained.
In India, we have 10 Test centres and close to 25 ODI centres. As a first step, the BCCI should look at setting up a medical centre at each of these venues so that when a cricketer is injured, he gets immediate help. As of now, most venues do have doctors in attendance, but it is basic treatment which can be provided for a painful blow on the hand while fielding or slipping while running. What happened at the SCG should serve as a wake-up call for all centres where cricket is played. The BCCI is a rich body and should take the lead in setting up trauma centres at Test and ODI venues. The idea is not to provide medical cover only for internationals but also first-class matches.
An incident like this can happen in any match, so doctors with specific areas of specialisation need to be hired. Everyone knows that at most cricket venues, the local cricket association has to take clearance from the fire department, police and so on. Providing medical facilities should become top priority now. Imagine a situation at the Kotla in the Capital. If a cricketer sustains an injury to his head, at best there will be an ambulance to rush the cricketer to a nearby hospital. The emphasis should now shift to having an ambulance which is equipped with sophisticated equipment and also has a proper panel of doctors on board. It is not enough for a doctor just to administer painkiller injections or apply some ointment. An orthopaedic expert, a neuro specialist and experts who deal with trauma must be present at these venues so that a cricketer’s life can be saved. Rather than worry about doing away with the bouncer, cricket needs to learn from a sport like Formula One where the medical cover on the circuit is top class. In the event of a high-speed shunt, an F1 driver can be rushed to the hospital courtesy an air ambulance in lightning time. From what I have seen at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida, the race promoters had a tie-up with a private hospital which had the expertise to deal with trauma even near the track.
The BCCI should make it mandatory that state associations tie up with private hospitals so that time is not wasted when an accident takes place. Being felled by a bouncer is a freak incident but if timely care is provided, a life can be saved.