Quote:"We need to do something to enforce change, because a lot of it has been reluctance from the playing group in terms of embracing the new stuff. I'm not just talking on behalf of Albion, I can state this on behalf of the main manufacturers, it's a tough gig trying to get them to [wear the latest helmets]," he said.

Denning expressed frustration about a lack of enforcement from authorities.

"In the horseracing industry we've worked for four years on developing a new helmet for jockeys. The difference is they are going to police it. No one can get on the horse unless they have met the standards.

"We have had those conversations with Cricket Australia and other organisations for years and it's in the too-hard basket. I coach an under-11s team on a Friday night, who is the person who is checking every kid's helmet when they come out to bat or keep? It's a big challenge but other sports have found a way to ensure protective equipment is what it should be. Maybe this can be the catalyst to do something about it.

"I'm not saying every helmet is going to be able to prevent what happened to Phillip Hughes, but some models do it a hell of a lot better than others."

***

Victorian spinner Bryce McGain upgraded to a space-age helmet for a couple of one-day games in 2009, prompting commentators to joke that he had left his Vespa at the gate. "I could hardly get it on to any cricketers' heads," said Denning. "Now a couple of brands have brought out something similar, and the science is really good, but it's a struggle to get players to embrace it."

"I wore it because it was safer, which is not to say I didn't trust the helmet I was wearing, which was an Albion as well," McGain said. "When I heard about why they had upgraded the technologies, why it fits better on your head, why it would deflect the ball better, why it covers more area, I just thought it made sense.

"I got ridiculed openly by commentators and when I went back to my club they said, 'What were you wearing? You looked ridiculous.' I was of the view that everyone will be wearing them but it was really the players that stopped it."

Quote:Cook is a fine player of fast bowling, who has largely avoided physical damage. He knows his game and his limitations. The key for him is to see the ball early and move late. For this he needs to be confident and comfortable. An unwieldy or heavy helmet, a visor or grille that impairs vision: indeed, any headgear that simply does not feel right for whatever reason, compromises both these needs. Ideally, and certainly at the professional level, protective equipment should be custom-made for each user. It is unwise to insist upon a standard design and may be self-defeating. Of course, any design should provide the necessary safeguards but within personal requirement.

The specific issue for Cook is different. He prefers more leeway than the recently standardised and mandatory 50-millimetre gap between the peak of the helmet and the grille. He says that the top bar of the grille now directly interferes with his line of sight. This may be the helmet itself or it may be the shape of his face, or head. He feels safer if he has a better view of the ball, which makes sense, and he was able to adjust the grille on his previous helmet to accommodate that. He is neither careless about his safety nor about the example he sets. Far from it. He is driven to find the right helmet and the most realistic resolution to achieve greater safety. For the moment, at least, he has done the right thing by his employer, who will be relieved of the runs scored under the application of its jurisdiction.