In the wake of the mishap that took place with Ashok Dinda on Monday, Indian pacer Jaydev Unadkat feels the time is right to introduce face masks for the bowlers in the game. Dinda suffered a nasty injury while bowling at the iconic Eden Gardens. Dinda was hit on his forehead while attempting a sharp caught-and-bowled during Bengal’s Twenty 20 practice match.
The incident took place when batsman Birender Vivek Singh hit a straight drive and Dinda attempted the catch on his follow through. However, the ball slipped through his hands and hit him hard on his forehead. Soon, Dinda fell on the ground before the players and the medical staff rushed to his aid.
Fortunately, Dinda stood up, much to everyone’s respite and even bowled a couple of deliveries to complete his over. However, he felt uneasy soon after before walking off the field. Later, the pacer was sent to hospital as a precautionary measure.
“Dinda looked fine as he completed the over before returning back to the dressing room. As a precautionary measure, he was taken for scans. There is nothing alarming but he has been advised two days of rest,” a Cricket Association of Bengal official told PTI.
With the mishap once again underlining the dangers the bowlers are facing in the game nowadays, Jaydev Unadkat feels the time is right for another safety gear in the game. He took to Twitter to state the bowlers should wear a face-mask and also asked R Ashwin for his opinion.
“About time that a “face-mask” for bowlers makes its way into all that has evolved in cricket. Its scary how this kind of incidents have become frequent in our game! Hope you good Dinda @dindaashoke .. What do you say Ash bhai? @ashwinravi99,” wrote Jaydev Unadkat.
About time that a “face-mask” for bowlers makes its way into all that has evolved in cricket. Its scary how this kind of incidents have become frequent in our game! Hope you good Dinda @dindaashoke .. What do you say Ash bhai? @ashwinravi99 https://t.co/J76hqBgXpJ
— Jaydev Unadkat (@JUnadkat) February 11, 2019
Dinda, meanwhile, recently had a decent outing in the Ranji Trophy where he picked up 28 wickets in 8 games including one five-wicket haul. The Bengal star, nonetheless, last played for India way back in 2013 during the home series against England. After making his debut against Sri Lanka in 2009, Dinda represented the national team in 13 ODIs and 9 T20Is, picking up a total of 29 wickets across formats.