During the fourth Test match between India and England, legendary Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar criticized the International Cricket Council (ICC) for its current concussion substitute policy. He said the rule is unfair and inconsistent, especially when players with serious injuries like Rishabh Pant cannot be replaced.
Gavaskar, speaking on Sony Sports, said,
“If you’re not able to handle short-pitched bowling, maybe you should play tennis or golf instead of Test cricket. Why are we giving substitutes to players who get hit because they can’t play the short ball?”
He believes that while concussion substitutes are allowed when a player is hit on the head, there should also be proper rules for replacing players who suffer clear physical injuries, like broken bones.
He pointed to the example of Rishabh Pant, who fractured his foot but still came out to bat and scored a brave half-century in India’s first innings of 358 runs. However, due to the seriousness of the injury, Pant is unlikely to play the rest of the match or even the next one.
Gavaskar said,
“Pant has a visible, serious injury. There should be a proper rule for injury replacements too. An independent panel, including doctors, should decide in such cases.”
Former England captain Michael Vaughan agreed with Gavaskar. He compared it to football, where a player with a serious injury can be substituted immediately.
Vaughan added,
“If a footballer breaks his leg, he is substituted right away. Why is cricket not doing the same? We need proper rules for injury replacements so that the quality of the game isn’t affected.”
With big names like Gavaskar and Vaughan supporting the idea, the debate over changing cricket’s injury substitution rules is expected to grow even stronger.
Also See: IND vs ENG Test: Why Ishan Kishan Can’t Replace Injured Rishabh Pant
