Boria Majumdar in Manchester
At the time when Rishabh Pant got injured, few in their sane minds would have expected him to come out and bat. It was an external injury, which doesn’t warrant a replacement, and the first thought was this would give England an unfair advantage. India, for no fault of theirs, would be reduced to 10 and it is against the very grain of a level playing field.
Should there be no provision in the playing regulations whereby such an issue can be addressed?
In what could be a huge development for cricket, sources confirm that the ICC could indeed be looking at it and the provision could well become a reality by October-November this year. If it happens, teams will get an opportunity to opt for a substitute in case of a serious external injury, provided it is ratified by the match referee in charge of the game.
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Much along the lines of a concussion substitute, it could be that a substitute is offered to the team which has suffered the unfortunate injury.
“Yes that’s the plan and it has been discussed as well,” sources indicated. “The team that has suffered an external injury doesn’t deserve to suffer for no fault of theirs. In sport, the aim is always to ensure equal opportunities and a level playing field. That’s what the endeavour will always be.”
If it were implemented in this series, England could have opted for a substitute for Shoaib Bashir in the third Test at Lord’s. In the ongoing game in Manchester, India could have had someone to replace Rishabh Pant, making it a step in the right direction.
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