Stokes Urges End to Injury Substitute Discussions

MANCHESTER: England’s captain, Ben Stokes, has strongly criticised the suggestion from Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir regarding the implementation of injury substitutes in Test cricket, deeming the discussions surrounding it as ‘absolutely ridiculous’.

The touring team, currently trailing 2-1 in the five-match series, faced a setback in the recent fourth Test when their wicketkeeper-batsman, Rishabh Pant, sustained a foot fracture while batting and had to retire hurt.

The left-handed batsman returned to his innings on the second day following the fall of India’s sixth wicket with the score at 314.

After the match, Gambhir advocated for a rule modification for players with significant injuries, suggesting they should be allowed to be substituted.

Gambhir stated during the post-match press conference, “Absolutely, I fully support it. If the umpires and match referee determine that there is a major injury, it’s very important. It’s crucial to have this rule in place where a substitute can be brought in if the injury is very evident.”

He further added, “There’s nothing wrong with implementing that, especially in a closely contested series like this one, where the previous three Test matches have been tightly fought. Imagine the disadvantage if we had to play with ten men against 11. It would be very unfortunate for us.”

Gambhir’s proposition was not well-received by the England captain, who dismissed the discussion by pointing out the potential for abuse of the proposed injury substitute rule in the game’s longest format.

Stokes commented, “I think it’s utterly absurd that there is talk about an injury replacement.”

He concluded, “I honestly believe that discussions regarding injury replacements should cease because if you put me in an MRI scanner, you could immediately bring in someone else. If you subject anyone to an MRI scanner, a bowler will inevitably show some inflammation around their knee; then you could bring in another fresh bowler. I simply believe that this discussion needs to be shut down and stopped.”