Cricket uniforms have a unique flavour all their own, including collared shirts. Is this an intentional practical feature, or just pure style?
Why Do Cricket Shirts Have Collars?
The cricket uniform seems pretty distinct from the kits you’ll find in many other sports. Rather than the breathable polyester shirts and baggy shorts of other sports, cricket players feel pretty formal, by comparison. The long trousers, the jackets, and, of course, the collared shirt or polo.
Why is it that cricket has such a different uniform? What benefits do players get from these changes, if any?
Well, those are the sorts of questions that we’re going to answer in this quick guide!
What Makes Cricket Different?
This may seem like a weird tangent, but stick with us on this one.
One of the best ways to understand why a sport uniform is the way that it is, is to have a look at the sport itself, and what makes it different from others.
A Long Game
The first thing that most people will see when first watching cricket is just the sheer length of it. It is by far one, if not the sport with the longest matches.
To put it into perspective, a standard boxing match will usually last about 50 minutes. Football matches last for 90 minutes (not including half and extra time). An NFL game can take up to 3 ½ hours to complete.
Cricket, however, has all of these other sports beat, with a standard game lasting over 7 ½ hours. And that’s just the typical length, too!
Needless to say, playing a single sport for that long is going to demand a few different things from a player when compared to a shorter game.
A Different Play Style
The other thing that newcomers will notice about a traditional cricket game is that it’s not as physically demanding as a sport. At least, not like football, rugby, or basketball.
There are moments of intense action throughout a match, make no mistake. But a lot of the skill from cricket comes just as much from the careful planning and specific actions taken by players as it does the running between wickets, and catching a shot cricket ball.
This means that the pace of a cricket game is much slower, but also turns the game into an endurance sport. Needing to practice effective techniques, planning, and conserving your energy takes priority here.
The Cricket Uniform
Now, with this background information in mind, let’s have a closer look at the cricket shirt and collar, and see how the uniform is tailored to the sport.
Cricket shirts are a little loose-fitting and made from a material that allows air to circulate in the top. Cotton shirts are very common, but so are polyester and even elastic flannel too. These qualities mean that cricket players can keep playing, without needing to worry about overheating (if they stay hydrated, of course).
Cricket trousers are similarly made to be airy and breathable, while also giving cricket players a full range of movement.
The fact that trousers and crickets shirts cover most of the body is especially important for avoiding health issues from sun exposure (more on that in just a second).
This allows players to keep playing without feeling constricted and stopping them from sweating themselves into an early time-out.
What Are the Collars For?
And, of course, there’s the collar, which helps players stay in the game for longer in its own way.
Sun-Shield
The tall collar of a cricket shirt helps shield the back of your neck from being exposed to the sun for too long. Heat stroke is a real possibility in many outdoor sports, but it’s especially dangerous in cricket.
Remember, cricket matches last up to 7 ½ hours on average, with many games taking even longer. That’s a lot of time to be exposed to the sun, which can cause a wide range of problems to players, from sunburn and heat stroke to blisters and even skin cancer.
Too Hot!
It’s also worth remembering that cricket is a popular sport across the world, especially in many hot countries such as Pakistan, India, and Australia. The average summer temperature in North India can be 45 degrees Celsius on average, compared to England’s 18 to 20 degrees Celsius.
The sun is a tough heat to play under in England as it is. Imagine how hot it can get in test matches in hotter places around the world!
To put it bluntly, without a collar, many cricket players would be unable to finish a cricket match. It’s that important. And it’s why most standard cricket kits have included collared shirts since the early 20th century.
Final Thoughts
So, we’ve explained the main benefits of a good cricket collar, from general comfort to ease of movement over a long game. It’s there to help a cricket player play for as long as they can, or a game lasts. And as we’ve seen, they can last a long time!
Plus, there’s just something about a cricket collar that’s become part of the iconic look, that lends it that air of ‘gentlemen’s sport’.
What can we say? We’re big fans of uniforms that are both practical to wear and great to look at here at Kitlocker!
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