XtraTime Web Desk: It is a dreadful sight on a cricket field when a bouncer from a fast bowler hits a batsman’s helmets. There have been instances when such an incident sent shivers down the spines of cricket fans, leave aside the batsman who has been hit. A red cherry propelling at 100 mph can take away the life of a batsman. Australian batsman Phil Hughes’ incident is still fresh in everyone’s mind.
During the pre-helmet era of cricket, there have been fewer injuries compared to the modern era. Batting stalwarts like Sir Donald Bradman, George Headley, Herbert Sutcliffe, Wally Hammod, Sir Garfield Sobers and Sir Viv Richards never wore a helmet but were still extremely successful against genuine quick fast bowlers.
It was only during the Kerry Packer series that helmets became a popular headgear for the batsmen. But there were a few batsmen who preferred wearing a skull cap instead of a helmet. And the first name that strikes in our minds is former England captain Mike Brearley, who was born on this day in April, 1942. Regarded as one of the best cricket captains to have donned the game, Brearley preferred wearing a skull-cap to protect himself from the fast bowlers during his time. It was Brearley who made the skull cap popular as it was lighter compared to the helmets in those days. It consisted of a plastic protector with two side pieces protecting the temples. It was later popularised by the great Indian opening batsman Sunil Gavaskar.
The little master once took the details of the manufacturers of the skull caps from Mike Brearley. It was during 1980 when Gavaskar possessed a brand new skull cap specially manufactured and designed by Bill Swanwick for him. But it took Sunny another three years to try them. Gavaskar first started wearing the skull cap during the 1983-84 season in the series against West Indies at home. During the previous tour to the Caribbean, Gavaskar was hit by a Malcolm Marshall bouncer during the third test in Georgetown. So, it was always in his thoughts to try and wear some protective gear in order to tackle the ferocious bouncers aimed at him. In an interview to The Telegraph, Gavaskar was not exactly sure when he wore the skull cap for the first time. According to Gavaskar, “Actually, I cannot recall when I first wore the skull cap for the first time. It would have been the home series against Pakistan, at the start of the 1983-’84 seasons or the first Test (in Kanpur) against the West Indies later that season.”
It was a popular sight for every cricket fan around the world to see a confident Sunil Gavaskar taking on the fast bowlers with ease wearing his famous skull cap under the fluffy white hat. And the man who influenced the ‘Little Master’ was an Englishman named Mike Brearley went on to become the most successful English captains, winning 18 out of the 31 test matches he led his country, including that famous Ashes win in 1981.