NEW DELHI: Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has strongly criticised the International Cricket Council (ICC)'s current concussion substitute policy, suggesting it lacks consistency and fairness.
Speaking during the fourth Test between India and England in Manchester, Gavaskar argued that if concussion substitutes are allowed, there should also be provisions for injury replacements, especially in cases as clear as Rishabh Pant’s fractured foot.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!“I’ve always felt that you are giving a like-for-like substitute for incompetence,” Gavaskar told Sony Sports.
“If you are not good enough to play short-pitched bowling, don’t play Test cricket; go and play tennis or golf. You are giving a substitute for somebody who gets hit because he can't handle it.”
Pant, despite being seriously injured, returned to bat and scored a courageous fifty in India’s first innings of 358. However, his continued participation in the match — and possibly the series — is now unlikely.
Gavaskar questioned why a substitute is permitted for a head blow but not for an obvious injury.
“Here, it is a clear injury. There has to be a substitute. Let an independent committee, including medical experts, be formed to make these decisions,” he said.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan, who was part of the discussion, agreed with Gavaskar and called for rule changes to protect the quality of the game.
“If a footballer breaks a leg early in a match, they can be substituted. Why should cricket be any different?” Vaughan said. “Pant has a broken foot. He can’t play again in this match or the next. We need a clear protocol for like-for-like injury replacements in such situations.”
With high-profile voices weighing in, the debate over injury substitutions in Test cricket is likely to intensify more.
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India vs England Test match here.
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