Former England captain Michael Atherton said that the International Cricket Council (ICC) will have to allow more substitutes in cricket. Teams are presently allowed to replace a player who has sustained a concussion with another but Atherton said that with England set to host West Indies in a three-match Test series next month in a bio-secure environment, teams might need more replacements for other injuries.
“What, for example, happens if a batsman breaks a finger and he’s got to go to the hospital for an X-ray? He’s got to leave the bubble and then come back, and if there’s a delay on testing or the results. I think you’ll see one or two compromises,” Atherton told Shaun Pollock and host Neil Manthorp in the ‘Following On Cricket Podcast’.
Atherton said that in such a scenario, there will have to be “an extension for the concussion rule.”
“If you remember, Marnus Labuschagne became the first concussion substitute for Steve Smith last year, and what will probably happen, as just a short-term measure, is if there’s an injury that’ll require someone to go to hospital, they’ll probably allow a substitute for that, whether it’s a broken finger or a torn hamstring or whatever.”
Cricket West Indies’ (CWI) selection panel on Wednesday named a fourteen (14) man Test squad and list of eleven (11) reserves for the proposed tour of England.
“Darren Bravo, Shimron Hetmyer and Keemo Paul all declined the invitation to travel to England for the tour and CWI fully respects their decision to choose to do so. As previously stated, CWI will not hold this decision against these players when considering future selection,” said CWI in their statement.