Overview

• Sunil Gavaskar criticized the ICC’s concussion substitute as a “like-for-like substitute for incompetence” and said batters unable to handle short-pitched bowling should consider other sports.
• The current 2019 rule permits replacements only after concussions and does not cover clear injuries such as fractures or soft-tissue damage.
• Gavaskar and former England captain Michael Vaughan both backed the creation of an impartial panel of medical experts to assess and approve injury substitutions.
• Rishabh Pant fractured his toe on Day 1 of the fourth Test at Old Trafford but returned to bat and scored a half-century under the existing concussion-only rule.
• Pressure is mounting on the ICC to review and reform its substitution regulations to align with other sports and enhance player welfare.