Cardiac screening to identify conditions associated with sudden cardiac death (SCD) is increasingly common in professional sports, including cricket. The incidence of SCD in cricket is not known although there are a small number of examples, including from commotio cordis. Screening is recommended in numerous international guidelines, although it is not mandated by the International Cricket Council (ICC). Most screening protocols include a personal and family history, physical examination and resting 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG). Some organisations, such as the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), also include a transthoracic echocardiogram on all players, once per career. Both Cricket Australia and the ECB have published outcomes of their cardiac screening programmes, which show only a low proportion of athletes required follow-up testing and that less than 0.4% were diagnosed with a major cardiac condition. Sri Lanka also has universal national screening for athletes, including cricketers. No cardiac screening programme can offer absolute protection. Therefore, cardiac emergency planning including cardiopulmonary resuscitation training and access to automated external defibrillators is critical to the prevention of SCD. This is reflected in the ICC’s minimum medical standards for major events and should ideally be implemented in all settings, including training, according to the resources available.