ICC adopts concussion rules into lawbook

FIVE years after the International Cricket Council knocked back a Cricket Australia request to trial concussion substitutes, they are an official part of the laws of the game.

The ICC board confirmed at its annual conference that concussion subs would be used in all international cricket from August 1, the day the first Ashes Test begins in Birmingham.

It’s a big win for CA, which twice had to ask to use the process in domestic cricket and tabled a report of its findings of a two-year trial as a key piece of information for the ICC to use.

The new rule mandates replaced players will be “like-forlike”, that is a batsman for a batsman to the one substituted, and will be subject to the approval of the match referee.

The new player becomes a full participant in the match, as opposed to a substitute fielder who cannot bat or bowl.

CA sports science manager Alex Kountouris has been a leader for cricket in the concussion space and welcomed the new rule.

“The introduction of the substitutes has been well received across Australian cricket by players, coaches and medical staff,” he said.

“It has allowed medical staff to assess players with suspected concussion during matches free of the pressures of leaving a team one player short … The rule will also allow players to declare symptoms of concussion (that can sometimes occur well after the incident), knowing that their team will not be disadvantaged.”

The ICC also pledged to further investigate the use of replays to call no balls, and not just at the fall of a wicket.