Cook reluctantly agrees to wear new lid
England captain Alastair Cook has given in to the demands made by the new ECB helmet regulations, and will wear the required safety-approved lid when he plays for Essex again, after being threatened with a ban.
Cook refused to wear the new helmet, as required by the ECB after a 12-month review following Australia batsman Phillip Hughes' death, in his previous game, and was given a warning.
He was told he'd face a suspension if he wore his old helmet again, and so he wore a new version in the nets on the weekend. When asked if he was happy with how it felt, he gave a terse 'No.'
Meanwhile, Cook's Essex and England team-mate Ravi Bopara said he understood where the skipper was coming from, as the new helmets were not adjustable in terms of view, and took some getting used to.
Bopara told Sky Sports: "It is tough to start using those helmets – you do lose the ball for that less than a split-second, and that makes a whole load of difference to a lot of players.
"I understand where Cookie's coming from. But when it comes to the guidelines and safety, we all have to be aware of that."
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