The International Cricket Council's cricket committee has recommended that the governing body should make the latest British Safety Standard (BSS) helmets mandatory in the international cricket.
"The committee considered the matter of helmet safety following a presentation on injury surveillance trends by ICC medical consultant Dr Craig Ranson. The committee expressed concerns that there were still too many instances of international cricketers wearing helmets which did not meet the latest British Safety Standard (BSS)," the ICC said in a press release.
"It recommended that the ICC should enforce the wearing of the latest BSS compliant helmets in all international cricket," it added.
The committee during a two-day meeting at the Lord's, which ended on Wednesday, observed that the current playing conditions allow the players to receive the best possible medical treatment, so there is no need to introduce new innovations like 'concussion substitute'.
"The committee considered a proposal from Cricket Australia for a "concussion substitute" to be trialled for two years in domestic first-class cricket. The committee acknowledged the seriousness of the issue of concussion in cricket, and stressed the need for consistent concussion policy to be implemented in all countries, but its view was that the current Laws and playing conditions allow players to receive the best possible medical treatment, and further change to the regulations in this area is not required at present," it insisted.
The other recommendations that were raised during the meeting centered on day-night Test match, the DRS technology, and maintaining the balance between bat and ball through sporting pitches and bat size.
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The committee supported the efforts to widen the audience for Test cricket across all member countries, and acknowledged the success of the inaugural day-night Test between Australia and New Zealand in Adelaide.
"It, however, stressed that day-night Test cricket needs to be delivered to a consistently high standard across all member countries if the concept is to be successful, noting that the combination of ball, pitch, lighting levels and environmental conditions needed to allow for an even contest between bat and ball at all proposed day-night Test venues," the release added.
"The committee also discussed a number of other issues relating to Test cricket, believing a coordinated approach to the marketing of Test cricket was needed, and also expressing concern about the quality of Test pitches, and in particular the common practice of home countries overtly preparing surfaces to suit their own teams," the ICC added.
The committee observed that the ICC needs to take a more prominent role in the management of the DRS technologies used in international cricket, adding that it could be done by establishing a structure and tighter processes to approve new technologies, and then to ensure a more consistent application of the technologies used from match to match.
The committee further suggested that Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) should strongly consider limiting the dimensions of cricket bats to help achieve a better balance between bat and ball.
"MCC sought the committee's guidance on the desirability of making changes in order to redress the balance between bat and ball. The Committee received a research paper from MCC citing a wealth of scientific and statistical evidence showing bats have become more powerful in recent years, primarily due to having larger 'sweet-spots'," the ICC release said detailing the deliberations by the Cricket Committee at the Lord's.
The committee also noted considerable progress in policing suspect actions in international cricket and encouraged all countries to continue their efforts to screen bowlers in domestic competitions before they reached international level.
The recommendations made by former cricketer Anil Kumble-led committee will now be taken forward to the next ICC Chief Executives' Committee and the ICC Board meeting in Edinburgh in July.