Domestic game to get concussion subs
ENGLISH domestic cricket will allow concussion substitutes across all formats of the game from the start of the 2018 season. How the process will work is yet to established but the ECB board have passed the introduction of replacement players for those suffering serious head strikes after a recommendation from their medical team and cricket committee. The move comes after the International Cricket Council amended a ruling to 150 years of the game’s playing conditions that previously resulted in matches involving injury substitutes losing first-class status.
The landmark change in player safety will apply to County Championship, Royal London Cup and NatWest Blast matches and will see anyone suspected of suffering a concussion replaced by a player who would be able to bat, bowl and field for the remainder of the game.
There are several logistical factors for the ECB to consider over the coming weeks, such as whether a sub must be a like-for-like player, whether to allow a team freedom of choice or whether the individual has to be nominated pre-match, in which case all-rounders would be the obvious choice. However, there are implications for how teams manage their resources. One of the concerns is a scenario whereby a player travels the circuit as a concussion sub but never plays.
The protocol of how the substitution is made is also yet to be finalised, with a potential for a 15-minute concussion bin for players — similar to the process applied in rugby codes — under consideration.
On-field concussion checks have become commonplace in recent years — Australia’s winning of the Ashes was delayed in Perth when England’s James Anderson received a hit to the head a fortnight ago.
And all professional players in England are now required to undergo baseline concussion tests in which they answer a set of questions so that their normal responses can be logged against those in the aftermath of a helmet hit.
The ECB will research such incidents in their Loughborough laboratory this winter in a bid to learn more about concussions.
Cricket Australia introduced subs for 50-over and Twenty20 matches after the death of batsman Phillip Hughes caused by a blow while playing for South Australia in November 2014.