A fast moving cricket ball has a large momentum. In stopping or catching this ball, its momentum has reduced to be zero. Now, when a cricket player moves back his hands on catching the fast ball, then the time taken to reduce the momentum of ball to zero is increased. Due to more time taken to stop the ball, the rate of change of momentum of ball is decreased and hence a small force is exerted on the hands of player. So, the hands of player do not get hurt.
