MANCHESTER:
Rishabh Pant’s foot injury on the first day of the fourth Test here has triggered a debate around the need for allowing like-for-like substitutions for external injuries.
Pant going out to bat with a broken metatarsal made for a great story but it was a decision forced upon the team, since the playing conditions don’t allow a substitute to bat or bowl. The International Cricket Council (ICC) is close to bring in a provision for likefor-like substitutions later this year, TOI has learnt.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!“There is a chance that teams will get to bring in a replacement for serious external injuries. The matter is already under deliberation. A ratification is expected in the next ICC cricket committee meeting,” an ICC source said.
In June, the ICC announced that a ‘replacement-player’ condition would be trialled by the Full Members of the world body.
“A player who suffers a serious injury on the field of play any time after the match has started (including any pre-match warm-up period) may be replaced for the remainder of the match by a fully participating like-forlike player,” the ICC had said in a statement on June 25.
Former England captain
Michael Vaughan has been vocal in his support of allowing proper replacements.
“Injury replacements should be permitted in Tests in the first innings of the game,” Vaughan had told BBC Sport two months ago.
“If there’s a genuine injury in the first innings, it affects the game and the entertainment, which fans pay money to watch. The first innings is a good cutoff to make it fair.”
India, after all, let go off a lot of runs when Pant was at the crease since he couldn’t run fast enough to complete obvious singles.
Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Start a Conversation
Post comment