The injury to Rishabh Pant during the fourth Test between India and England has sparked fresh debate about the absence of injury substitutes in international cricket. Indian batting legend Sunil Gavaskar has taken a strong stand, criticizing the International Cricket Council (ICC) for its stance on player replacements.
Pant suffered a toe fracture after inside-edging a full toss from Chris Woakes onto his foot on Day 1 at Old Trafford. Though he returned on Day 2 to score a brave half-century, he was clearly in discomfort, limping between deliveries. Medical scans later confirmed the injury, ruling him out for six weeks.
While some experts like Michael Vaughan have supported the idea of allowing injury substitutes in such cases, others, including Alastair Cook and Parthiv Patel, have voiced concern about potential misuse of the rule. Gavaskar, however, believes the current concussion-only rule is not sufficient.
Gavaskar Calls Current Rule Unfair
Speaking on Sony Sports, Gavaskar said, “I’ve always felt that you are giving a like-for-like substitute for incompetence. If you are not good enough to play short-pitched bowling, don’t play Test cricket.” He argued that the concussion substitute rule gives unfair advantage to players who struggle against bouncers, while those who suffer genuine injuries are left without any replacement options.
Gavaskar stressed that Pant’s case was a clear physical injury and deserved a substitute. He suggested that the ICC should create a dedicated panel to re-evaluate the rule and consider changes that make it fairer for all players.
Call for Independent Panel to Avoid Bias
To avoid controversy, Gavaskar recommended that the review panel should be neutral and not linked to the current ICC leadership, many of whom are Indian. “We don’t want the English and Australian media to claim bias,” he said. “Let an independent panel with medical experts evaluate such cases and recommend rules accordingly.”
As Pant’s absence puts Team India in a tight spot in the ongoing Test, Gavaskar’s words have reignited a much-needed conversation on fairness and player safety in cricket’s longest format.
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