Head injury and concussion in cricket: Incidence, current guidance, and implications of sports concussion literature

Abstract

Concussion following head injury remains a significant cause of injury in cricket, with recent high profile events highlighting the ongoing risk of head injury in the sport and the emerging use of concussion assessments for elite players following injury. Sport‐related concussion has long been recognized to present significant concerns for athletes in both the short and long term, with an increasing evidence base surrounding diagnostic and prognostic approaches to the issue. Though cricket represents one of the most participated sports worldwide, there is a lack of evidence relating to the acute management and prognosis of head injury in cricket players. In this review, we searched the literature for terms related to head injury, concussion, and cricket, summarizing the main findings regarding the incidence, mortality, acute management, diagnostic approach, and outcome of cricket‐related head injury. Further, this review places these findings in the wider context of sports‐related concussion literature to ascertain both the current evidence base surrounding current cricket‐related concussion guidelines, and the direction of research for future approaches to sports concussion management.