MELBOURNE: New Zealand batter Kane Williamson has started a business inspired by one of cricket’s most painful rites of passage, launching his own line of “premium alloy” abdominal guards to protect players’ most sensitive area.

Worn inside a player’s briefs as a shield for the groin, guards are an essential piece of protective kit for batters facing deliveries that can exceed 140 km/hr (87 mph).

Williamson said a ball from South Africa’s feared fast man Dale Steyn in 2012 cracked his guard and inspired the “Cover” brand he had co-founded.

“It was extremely painful and it just absolutely dropped me,” the former New Zealand captain said in a statement. “I was hit, my box split, and that made it pretty clear that the protection players were relying on wasn’t up to the demands of the modern game.”

Co-founder Jason Low said the guard’s alloy shell could handle ball speeds well over 200 km/hr and offer protection from high-speed projectiles across other hard ball sports like hockey, lacrosse and baseball.

While guards have long been a staple of cricket kit, players are still occasionally left writhing after being struck low by a fast ball.

Australia’s T20 captain Mitchell Marsh missed two games at the World Cup last month after suffering “internal testicular bleeding” from being hit in the groin by a ball at training.

Published in Dawn, March 13th, 2026