Jermaine Lannaman, Star Writer

Fast bowling great Sir Andy Roberts believes calls for the ban of bouncers in cricket are emotional rather than rational.

Speaking against the backdrop of the recent passing of Australian batsman Phillip Hughes, who was hit on the head via a short-pitched delivery, Roberts said there was no need for a ban on the short-pitch delivery, arguing instead that it was a part of the dangers of cricket.

"It's unfortunate what happened to young Hughes. My prayers and thoughts goes out to his family and friends," Roberts told STAR Sports.

"However, we have to be careful how we deal with the situation, and ensure that we do not get carried away, and do anything that will adversely affect the game."

"Firstly, we need to ask ourselves, why are going to ban short-pitched deliveries?

"Okay. Someone gets injured or someone dies, but, is the short-pitch delivery the only danger in cricket? The answer is no.

positions dangerous

"A number of things in cricket are dangerous. For example, are you going to ban fielding close to the bat at short-leg, or silly mid-on. Aren't these positions dangerous? Where is it going to end?

"These cricket rules have been in place for over 100 years, and while there has been the odd mishap, they are a part of the dangers of cricket," he added.

Now a coach, Roberts, who was a member of a fearsome batch of West Indies fast bowlers in the 1970s and 1980s, also revealed that what batsmen should do was better prepare themselves.

He explained that a number of batsmen were not equipped enough to play short-pitched deliveries, and that this could be as a result of poor technique.

"Several batsmen are not equipped enough, and need to be taught proper techniques on how to deal with short balls," he said.

"They get hit because they are not watching the ball, and they turn their heads."

"They have protective gear, and seem to rely soley on it, instead of coming up with a proper technique to cope with the ball."

Roberts, who has held West Indies coaching and managerial positions in the past, also pointed out that if short-pitch deliveries were to be expunged it would further play into the notion that cricket is a batsman game.

"Cricket is already a batsman game, and if bowlers are continued to be limited it will become even more a batsman game," said the 63-year-old Roberts .

Hughes, 25, died two weeks ago after he was hit on the head by a bouncer from fast bowler Sean Abbott in a first-class game in Australia.

He was burried in his hometown last Wednesday.