Gavaskar Urges ICC to Reconsider Concussion Substitute Rule

MANCHESTER: During the ongoing Test match between India and England at Old Trafford, former Indian cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar voiced his concerns regarding the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) concussion substitute rule, suggesting it is being misused and requires immediate evaluation.

Gavaskar conveyed to the media that the rule, in its current form, essentially allows for a ‘like-for-like substitute for incompetence’ and requires a thorough reconsideration.

Introduced in 2019 to replace players who have sustained concussions during a match, Gavaskar questioned the fairness of the existing regulation.

Gavaskar stated, “I’ve always believed that this rule provides a substitute for a player’s inability. Someone who struggles with short-pitched bowling shouldn’t be playing Test cricket; they should consider tennis or golf instead.”

“This rule is giving an opportunity to replace someone who can’t handle the short ball and gets injured,” Gavaskar added.

Gavaskar further contended that the current rule overlooks other forms of accidental injuries, citing Pant’s situation as an example, where players are unable to fulfill their roles due to injury.

He proposed that the ICC should establish a dedicated medical panel to assess such scenarios and make informed decisions on replacements.

“In cases of clear injuries, a substitute should be permitted. Perhaps a separate committee comprised of doctors could evaluate these situations and make the necessary call,” he concluded.

It is worth noting that Indian wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant suffered a toe injury while attempting a reverse sweep off the bowling of England’s Chris Woakes.

Despite the injury, Pant returned on the second day and managed to score a resilient half-century. However, he was unable to continue his wicket-keeping duties, leading Dhruv Jurel to take over behind the stumps for fielding purposes only.

The implementation of the concussion substitute rule followed the unfortunate passing of Australian cricketer Phil Hughes, who was struck by a bouncer in 2014.

The regulation permits a team to substitute a concussed player with a player of similar capabilities, subject to approval from the match referee.