How Are Forma Helmets Different From Others In Ensuring Player’s Safety? Washington Sundar’s Brands Says It All

Forma Helmets is one of the trusted brands in the market currently and are being used by India internationals Washington Sundar and Chetan Sakariya.

New Delhi: Following Australian cricketer Phil Hughes death in 2014, helmets are given special importance. Whether you are slow to react to beamer or an uneven bounce of the pitch surprises you, helmets secures a player from life-threatening injuries to head and face while batting.

Forma Helmets, used by India internationals Washington Sundar and Chetan Sakariya, is one of the trusted brands in the market. How Forma Helmets are different from others, how players have responded to the product, CEO Amit Desai answers all in an exclusive chat with Cricket Country. Excerpts…

Q) What are the first few things you keep in mind while preparing or designing a helmet?

A) The key factors for the helmet design are safety, comfort and now styling has also become important. Hence, we have our tagline of ‘Safety with Comfort & Style’.

Safety: This is of primary importance to us since it is head safety. The helmet is designed and built with a configuration of the outer shell made of high impact polymer with an inner concussion protection of high density expandable polystyrene. Both these are the primary components of safety within the helmet. They are tuned to an optimum level of thickness and density required in modern 360 degrees fearless cricket. The grill is also made of ultra-lightweight Titanium for our top players. Titanium is a material used in aerospace for its high tensile strength and lightness.

Comfort: We are the only manufacturers who have complete coverage of internal comfort lining across the entire inner shell. This gives a feeling of comfort on a player’s head and at the same time, gives extra surface area for sweat absorption.

Style: This is of great importance in modern cricket. It is important to give today’s players helmets which have smart design elements as it adds to their confidence.

Q) Do you design helmets as player’s preferences as well? How is that different from the normal process

A) Helmet designing is now based more on the new British Standards which is quite rigid with regards to its compliances. Hence, we must keep these requirements in our minds while designing a cricket helmet. We do take certain inputs from players and try to bring their suggestions within the framework of the British Standards.

Q) How many factories do you have in India? Do you have any outlets outside India as well?

A) We have one factory in Vadodara and do not have any other factory in India or abroad.

Q) How does your helmet is different from the rest of the competitors?

A) As mentioned before, safety is of primary importance to our company and comfort is also an integral part of our product specification. Our special feature of having a full internal sweat absorbing foam lining ensures greater comfort than any other cricket helmet currently in the market. We also have a shell which is ergonomic to a human head, and it is designed to give optimum fit to most player’s head shape and sizes.As for our wicket keeping helmet, we have an additional cut at the back of the helmet that allows additional space required when a cricketer must squat.

Q) The safety is a key concern for all the cricketers especially after the Phil Hughes incident. How do you ensure that your helmets are the safest in the world, and what kind of extra things do you do to make it more reliable.

A) Yes, safety is our absolute primary concern. Phil Hughes incident was an extremely sad incident in modern cricket and none of us would want this to be ever repeated. From a Forma helmet design perspective, we have always maintained our helmet has a deeper shell which elongates more at the rear of the head compared to the other helmets in the market. Our helmet has a natural extension at the back of the head where Phil Hughes was hit. Lately, British Standards have framed for the first time, Standards for neck protector, for such safety coverage. This safeguards the lower part of the head at the back along with some neck area. Forma is the first company to get a British Standard certification for its neck protectors. It has developed a neck protector which covers the back portion of the player’s head. Hence, we have always understood the need for safety and have always maintained a lead in Safety.

Q) How the players have responded to your helmets. Do they like it already or they have suggested some changes as well.

A) We do get lots of suggestions from players. However, with the new British Standards, they understand that most modifications they request are almost impossible to make in the helmets.

What did Washington Sundar and Chetan Sakariya say?

Q) How comfortable do you feel in Forma helmet

Washington Sundar: Very comfortable and feel secure in it.

Chetan Sakariya: Extremely comfortable and it also gives me a complete head protection. The Forma helmet has great comfort and fitting which sits very well on my head and provides me with optimum vision.

Q) How this helmet is different from any other helmet you have used so far?

Washington Sundar: Not sure how to compare it but the Forma helmet sits on my head very well which makes me feel comfortable and also the adjustable lever helps me in different situations.

Chetan Sakariya: The Forma helmet provides a 360-degree head protection, so even if a ball hits my head, the toughness of the Forma helmet doesn’t make me feel the impact of the ball. The grill is also very solid which gives me a clear vision and ample protection.

Q) Any changes you’d like to suggest for Forma helmets for their future developments?

Washington Sundar: Not that I can think of, it’s been great!

Chetan Sakariya: Not many that I can think of but if the neck guardfitting could be a little better.

Q) What are the key things you look into when you select a helmet to use during matches?

Washington Sundar: Comfort and safety-both are at the best with Forma.

Chetan Sakariya: Head protection that a helmet should offer is very important to me along with the fit of a helmet so that it sits well on my head. Also, a grill which gives me a good vision.