The ICC is reportedly exploring a new law in domestic cricket.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) is set to trial replacements for players who suffer “serious injury” in First-Class games from October for six months.
According to a report in BBC, the full members of the ICC will be conducting trials for like–for-like replacements during a match, which also includes the time when players are warming up. Currently, like-for-like replacements are only allowed for players who suffer a concussion. For players who suffer other injuries, the replacement player can only field, and not bat or bowl.
“Substitute shall not bowl or act as captain but may act as wicketkeeper only with the consent of the umpires,” states Law 24.1.2 of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC).
The talking point of the like-for-like replacements for “seriously injured” players brings back the case of India pacer Jasprit Bumrah. Jasprit Bumrah had suffered a back spasm during the fifth Test against Australia in Sydney earlier this year and had to be forced out of the match midway.
There wasn’t any like-for-like replacement for the Gujarat speedster. Even if there was a like-for-like replacement, he may not have been up to the standards of Jasprit Bumrah. The 31-year-old was the top wicket-taker of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, with 32 wickets from five matches.
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However, the inclusion of a replacement would have still bolstered India’s bowling attack and possibly kept their hopes of levelling the series 2-2 alive. India were behind 1-2 in that series at the time. However, India lost the Sydney Test by six wickets and surrendered the series 1-3, winning only the first Test in Perth.
Another recent instance was that of Zimbabwe’s Richard Ngarava. During the one-off Test against England in May, the Zimbabwe pacer sustained a back injury and left the field. Once he entered back on the field, he, however, was denied from bowling since he had spent several minutes away from the field.
The umpires will have their task cut out should the replacement law be made permanent after the six-month trial period. There have been instances wherein normal players have been brought on to give some of the main players to rest in between overs.
This has often been the case in terms of fast bowlers, wherein substitute players bowl some overs at a time when the main bowlers are rested. In other cases, substitutes can also be game-changers by taking a catch or initiating run-outs.
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