Women cricketers wear a box during gameplay just like male players. The guard box is an essential safety tool to play cricket at all levels and ensures improved support against sudden impact.
The impact from a cricket ball could cause serious injuries without proper protection. A cricket box offers essential safety women and men cricketers need to play their game without fear. Let’s see every important detail about women cricketers and why they wear a box during gameplay.
Do Women Cricketers Wear a Box?
Women cricketers wear a box to protect their lower abdomen and groin area from injury. People dismiss the importance of box guards in women’s cricket, but it could be an essential item going forward.
Women’s cricket is evolving, and we’re beginning to see some experienced fast bowlers from different countries. The current evolution could increase groin injuries to batters and wicketkeepers without abdominal guards.
Female cricket players need adequate protection against groin injuries and abdominal guards provide enough protection for women cricketers.
What is in a Cricket Box?
A cricket abdominal guard is usually made of tough acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) designed for high-grade protection against sudden impact from fast bowling. It also helps players gain more comfort during play with its padded edges and interior.
The combination of tough ABS and soft padding makes it easy for batters to focus on the game and avoid serious lower abdominal injuries. Well-crafted cricket boxes also ensure the pain of impact from a ball is at its barest minimum.
Why Do Female Cricketers Wear a Box?
Many commentators have dismissed the need for abdominal guards for women in the past. However, women need to wear this protective accessory whenever they are on the field.
Fast bowls to the groin area could be extremely painful for men and women in cricket matches. Components of standard-grade boxes ensure players feel nothing more than a light thud around their lower abdomen. Cricketers need to wear a box regardless of their gender.
Why Do People Think Women Should Not Wear a Box to Play Cricket?
Many commentators believe the speed of cricket balls is a major cause of on-field injuries. However, these commentators argue that the women’s game doesn’t have the fastest cricket bowlers.
Since women don’t bowl at the same speed as men, they believe there is no need for females to wear a box. The likelihood of groin injuries due to fast bowling is less in women’s cricket.
Is There Any Difference between Male and Female Boxes?
Male and female abdominal guards do not have the same design. Subtle design changes mean you should look closely before ordering a cricket box. Here’s a look at two major differences between male and female boxes:
| Men’s Box | Women’s Box |
| Male safety boxes are made from solid carbon fiber | Women safety boxes are made from hard plastic material |
| Men’s guard boxes are designed to have a cup shape | Female boxes appear flatter and cover the lower abdomen a little higher |
| Male safety boxes are designed to withstand repeated hard impact | Women’s safety boxes might suffer internal cracks under extreme fast bowling |
| Men’s safety boxes come with reinforced padding to withstand impact | Female safety boxes feature soft padding at the surface and edges |
Is It Compulsory for Women to Wear a Box in Cricket?
The ICC and other relevant agencies governing cricket currently have no regulations concerning women’s guard boxes. Women don’t need to wear a safety box while playing cricket. However, the growth of women’s cricket over time could cause policy changes and mandate female players to wear a box. Professional female wicketkeepers and batters can still play games across formats without bothering about wearing an abdominal guard.
When Did Boxes Become a Part of Cricket?
Cricket boxes became popular in the early 19th century. Before that time, no protective gear was required to play cricket. The rise of overarm bowling was a major reason that made such protection necessary. Cricket boxes became popular during this period as a means to protect sensitive areas of players’ bodies.
Final Word
Female cricket has been at the rear end when you consider how popular the male version is worldwide. However, women’s cricket is beginning to get its long-overdue recognition and international support. Vital tools like custom-made boxes for protection show how much the women’s game has grown in recent years. No specific regulations from the ICC or other agencies currently define what a women’s cricket box should look like or possess. However, it remains the player’s choice to wear a protective box during play.
