BCCI reportedly plans new substitution rule for domestic red-ball cricket

The BCCI is reportedly set to introduce a new substitution rule in the upcoming domestic season. The move comes after Rishabh Pant’s recent injury during the fourth Test against England in Manchester.

Pant suffered a fractured toe after being struck by a delivery from Chris Woakes. Despite the injury, he showed great grit and determination by returning to bat. However, he did not keep wickets, with Dhruv Jurel taking over that role. Pant was later ruled out of the fifth and final Test at The Oval and is expected to need six weeks of recovery.

According to a report by Cricbuzz, the new substitution rule will apply only in domestic red-ball tournaments for now. That means it will not be used in white-ball competitions such as the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

"If a player sustains a serious injury during the course of the relevant match, a Serious Injury Replacement may be permitted in the following circumstances. The serious injury must have been sustained during play and within the playing area described in clause," the report stated.

The BCCI has also given on-field umpires the authority to decide how serious an injury is. Based on their assessment, they will decide whether a team should be allowed to bring in a substitute.

The idea of a substitution gained momentum after Pant’s injury. Many former players and experts discussed the matter, with India’s head coach supporting the move. However, England captain Ben Stokes was not in favour.

"I think it's absolutely ridiculous that there's a conversation around an injury replacement," Stokes said. "I think that there would just be too many loopholes for teams to be able to go through. You pick your XI for a game; injuries are part of the game. I completely understand the concussion replacement - player welfare, [and] player safety. But I think the conversation should just honestly stop around injury replacements because if you stick me in an MRI scanner, I could get someone else in straightaway.”

Interestingly, in the final Test at The Oval, Chris Woakes himself suffered a shoulder injury and could not bowl. That incident further fuelled the debate.

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