Meet Dennis Amiss - the man who invented cricket's first helmet

London: If batters today play the hook, pull or even the unconventional ones like the reverse sweep or scoop to thunderbolts coming down in excess of 140 kmph without much fear in their hearts, Dennis Amiss, in a way, is responsible for giving them that confidence.

The former English cricketer, who played 50 Tests and scored over 45,000 first-class runs in a distinguished career, developed and wore cricket’s first-ever helmet during a World Series Cricket game in 1977. The sole piece of lifesaving equipment has gone on to redefine how batters front up to fearsome pacers.

A successful businessman following his playing days, the former chairman and current president of the Warwickshire County Cricket Club spoke exclusively to DH about his invention, how Indian spinning great Bishan Singh Bedi’s helped change his life and taking part in the first rebel tour to South Africa in 1982. Excerpts.  

You were the one who invented cricket’s first helmet. How did the idea strike you and how did you go about constructing it?

It all started in the 1970s when we were in Australia. (Dennis) Lille and (Jeff) Thomson were very hostile. In Sydney (for the fourth Test), I spoke to Len Hutton, who was the chief selector at that time. I asked him, ‘Have you faced bowlers like them?’ He said, ‘No, it's very difficult, you can't get the other end, can you?’

I told him that I knew you didn’t play in the Bodyline series that featured (Harold) Larwood and (Bill) Voce, but this is Headline. Lille and Thomson were coming at our heads. I decided that if we ever come against fast bowlers like that again, there could be some protection for the head. I happened to be with a motorcycle helmet manufacturer one day, I don't know what I was doing there, and asked him if he could design a helmet for cricket.

He said, not really as they are very heavy and very hot. But he offered me one which had a plastic visor that could take shots from a double-barrel gun from 10 sides. I figured it could take shots from a cricket ball 22 yards out! I called up Tony Greig and we were off to the World Series Cricket in 1977, where there were 18 fast bowlers who could bowl 90 miles an hour. I spoke to Kerry Packer about me wearing a helmet and he said, ‘bring it on.’ The World Series were innovating with coloured clothing, floodlights and white balls, and he was more than delighted with the helmet concept. That was the start and it just caught on.

Did you ever think of making a patent? You could have been a very rich man today!

It was proposed, but I didn't, because there was a lot of injection moulding going on and people could alter it the way they wanted. Then I had an offer to join the board of a public company as a board member. I always wanted a business career after cricket and I opted for that.

Did wearing a helmet change your mindset while facing the fast bowlers?

It felt a little bit safer if you got hit on the head or on the face. People have had broken noses and smashed teeth. Look at Philip Hughes, he died on the pitch. I don’t think we should play any differently with the helmet on, like hooking and pulling, but it does give you the confidence that if you are hit on the head, you’re not going off the pitch. It gave you the confidence to play your shots but not silly cricket. 

One of the early helmets designed by Dennis Amiss. DH PHOTO/ Sidney Kiran 

Do you think the helmet altered the technique of batters, pre and post it?

I don't think they would be playing the shots today without helmets. When they do the reverse sweep nowadays, you know, if you miss, it hits. So I think that's given them a lot of confidence to play the game that they play today, which is wonderful. 20-over cricket, I would have loved to have played it. I mean, we did in a way, because we played 40-over cricket, we played 20 overs to get there, and the last 20 were the same as what they play today. So we did that, we helped change the game.

You had some great battles with India’s spinning legends and even acknowledged them in uplifting your career in your autobiography. Can you tell us that?

I was more successful against spin, in the end, which I wasn’t at first. When I first went to India with Tony Lewis, I couldn’t get a run. (BS) Chandrasekhar was bowling me out and I got left out of the last Test match in 1972. Tony Lewis then told me he was going to drop me, which meant I couldn’t practice. We were going to Pakistan after the India series. The practice wickets were in the middle and I couldn’t practice because the playing XI would practice there and right after their session, the nets were taken down. Bishan Singh Bedi came up to me and asked me why I am unable to score runs against India. I told him that Chandra, with his withered arm, was bamboozling me and I had no idea what was coming out of his arm. I told Bedi I want to practice because I want to go to Pakistan. Bedi came back and told me he’s organised a ‘nets’ for me. He also said he, (EAS) Prasanna and (S) Venkataraghavan were going to bowl to me but not Chandra. When I went to Pakistan I got a century. Bedi made it happen. To help an opposition player, phew, hats off. Bedi got chastised for it. I told (Sourav) Ganguly the story and he couldn’t believe it.  

You were part of the path-breaking World Series Cricket. Can you share an interesting memory from that?

Dennis Amiss plays a shot wearing a helmet. DH PHOTO/ Sidney Kiran 

In one of the World Series games Andy Roberts was bowling to David Hookes in Sydney. The Aussie went to hook Roberts, missed it and Roberts broke his jaw. Hookes was sipping through a straw for six weeks and then he asked if he could borrow my helmet. I gave him one and six weeks later after recovering, Hookes hooked Roberts out of the game for a six. The helmet gave him the confidence and Richie Benaud said it was one of the most defining moments in cricket. It was an early indication of how much confidence helmets gave to batters.

You took part in the first ‘rebel’ tour of South Africa in 1982 because of which you were banned from international cricket for three years. To this day do you regret it?

One of the early helmets designed by Dennis Amiss. DH PHOTO/ Sidney Kiran 

No, it was the right decision to go over there and play cricket, coach at white schools and black schools. I'd been there coaching in South Africa and I'd enjoyed the country. We played cricket over there during Christmas time and I got to know Ali Bacher, who was running South African cricket. Bacher wanted us to spread the gospel of cricket and we thought we were doing the right thing. I believed Bacher was a mover and wanted to help. So we, with Gucci (Graham Gooch) and (Geoffrey) Boycott, played cricket and got banned for it. We knew the penalties, but we got over it.