BLOW MORE DAMAGING THAN A HEAVYWEIGHT’S RIGHT HOOK

MAKE no mistake, taking a blow from a Jofra Archer bouncer at 92mph is far more damaging than a right hook from the gloved fist of a heavyweight boxer. A cricket ball is like a small rock and one really bad strike to the head or neck can cause nervous or vascular damage. If a boxer can’t stand up within 10 seconds of a heavy punch, they are counted out and sent to hospital for brain scans. Steve Smith didn’t stand up within 10 seconds and I’m shocked that he was allowed back on at Lord’s. I’m not criticising the doctor because I presume he did everything by the book. It’s the system that needs reviewing. If you suspect concussion, the player must not go back on the pitch. The moment you take off a player for a head injury assessment, you suspect concussion. The symptoms are not always there 10 minutes after the blow so it’s impossible to determine straight away whether someone is concussed. It can be a silent and devastating injury. Sometimes the symptoms occur later that night or the following morning. I read that Smith felt groggy yesterday morning and now he is likely to miss the third Test, so that proves the point. The immediate effect may be a loss of balance and loss of memory. In the short term, you can get postconcussion syndrome where you may have vomiting and headaches. England were within their rights to use Archer to target Smith but maybe cricket should look at reducing bouncers to one per over.