Among the many laws that govern the sport of cricket, there is one regulation that is dedicated to the players’ uniform. It ensures that cricketers are in the right outfit that suits the sport’s demands. When it comes to trousers, one might wonder whether they are a mandate in the sport.
The short answer is yes. Trousers indeed are a norm in the sport. Aesthetics is the number one reason that comes to mind especially for a sport that is dubbed as the gentlemen’s game. Next, a lot of running and sprinting is required in cricket. Be it the batters who run between the wickets or the fielders who dive and skid towards the ball, trousers add a layer of protection for the player. Trousers ensure that cricketers don’t get deep bruises or scars when they dash themselves against the field.
The origins of cricket can be traced to the colder regions of the European continent. Since its early days, the players always wore trousers to battle the cold. Thus, this apparel was passed on and has since been a part of the sport’s tradition. Such has been the impact of trousers in the sport of cricket, that when Kerry Packer first introduced the world to One Day International cricket and the colorful jerseys donned by the players, the sport was jocularly referred as pyjama cricket.
The only variant of cricket wherein players are allowed to wear shorts instead of trousers is beach cricket. Beach cricket is a sport that also has its own world championship events. However, the International Cricket Council does not recognize it as an official format. Thus, the only variant of the game that permits the players to wear shorts is not a validated format.
