Quantcast

Concussion subs coming to Shield

The path has been cleared by the ICC for concussion substitutes in the Sheffield Shield this summer

This year's Sheffield Shield will allow concussion substitutes after the International Cricket Council confirmed a proposal to trial the measure for the next two years.

The Shield will be the first first-class competition to introduce the measure following its introduction into Cricket Australia-run competitions such as the domestic one-day cup and KFC Big Bash League last summer.

A successful trial will pave the way for the policy to be introduced at Test level for the 2019-20 summer.

Quick single: Aussies abroad: how bowlers fare

CA has lead the push for the introduction of concussion substitutes in a wider drive to improve player safety following the tragic death of Phillip Hughes in November 2014.

But the ability to replace a player suffering a concussion were thwarted by cricket bureaucracy – the Shield competition would not have been able to retain its first-class status had it allowed substitutions.

The path has now been cleared by the ICC, and CA will introduce it to the playing conditions for the 2017-18 summer, fixtures for which are due to be announced this month.

"Cricket Australia has been a strong advocate for concussion substitutes and we have successfully introduced this into our other competitions,” a CA spokesperson said.

"We look forward to formalising the introduction of this rule into the Sheffield Shield ahead of this season."

The introduction will avoid a repeat of last season's incident in the Shield clash between Victoria and South Australia when Bushrangers wicketkeeper Sam Harper was felled by an accidental blow to the head while standing up to the stumps.

Harper struck by bat in Sheffield Shield

The Victorians were unable to field a replacement playerand have the match keep first-class status, with Redbacks captain Travis Head on the end of unfair criticism given his hands were tied by regulations.

In May this year, theinfluential ICC Cricket Committee recommended "Classification of Official Cricket" be changed to allow substitutes in first-class matches.

That has since been approved by the ICC's Chief Executives Committee and will be introduced worldwide from October 1.

The change is a welcome one after the ICC Cricket Committee had earlier rejected the idea of substitutes in first-class cricket.

Aussies add bite to Bangladesh preparation

Under the first-class playing conditions previously used in the Shield, substitutes were allowed to replace injured or ill players but were not permitted to bat or bowl, a restriction that some medical experts believe might lead to players who have been concussed remaining on the field so as not to disadvantage their team.

CA's current concussion policy, which was updated in the wake of Hughes's death, dictates that team medical staff wield sole discretion as to whether any Australia player at national, state or elite pathway level who has been struck in the head can continue to take part in the game.

Quick single: Aussies arrive amid tight security in Bangladesh

And, if concussion is diagnosed, their return to the field is ruled out on the day that the injury is sustained – which effectively denies his or her team the services of a batter or bowler.

Chris Rogers missed Test matches because of the concussion policy, while NSW batsman Dan Hughes became the first cricketer to be substituted in a one-day domestic match last summer after being struck on the helmet and replace in the batting line-up by Nick Larkin.

October 1 will see a raft of new measures introduced into the Laws of cricket, including a restriction on bat sizes, allowing replacement fielders to keep wicket, sending players from the field for misconduct and ending the practice where a batsman could be run out after making his ground when his bat bounced into the air as the stumps were broken.