From time to time, cricketers can suffer acute injuries. For example, players can be struck by the cricket ball, leaving what can be a severe contusion. Acute strains or sprains can also happen. You can treat these injuries effectively using cold compresses. Additionally, you can treat chronic injuries like sore muscles after the game using hot compresses. And in some situations it can actually make sense to apply both hot & cold treatments, one after the other. Based on these facts, it makes sense to always take along a couple of hot & cold compresses for cricket games. 

Hot & cold compresses are not useful only in cricket. They are handy in any sport in which players can get hit by a hard object like a ball, hockey stick or a fixture around the stadium, e.g. baseball, basketball, lacrosse, etc., and suffer contusions.

You can place hot & cold compresses in a freezer and have them ready to apply to an acute injury in a couple of hours. Alternatively, you can also heat them in a microwave for a couple of minutes. They will then be ready for application to a chronic injury like a sore back or ankle.

The versatile applications of hot & cold compresses for cricket uses of all kinds makes them an automatic choice for your cricket bag.

If chronic injuries are not an issue, you can consider buying instant cold compresses for cricket instead. You can have these ready for application in a couple of minutes, usually just by shaking them. For an acute injury like a blow from the ball that requires immediate treatment, quick application of a cold compress is a big advantage.

One thing to remember is that you should never apply a hot or cold compress directly against your bare skin for an extended period. This could result in scalding  or other injury. Instead, wrap the compress in a towel or other insulating material before application to your skin  For other information on how to use hot & cold therapies for best results, please read this post .