Sunil Gavaskar, a former captain of the Indian cricket team, has voiced his strong disapproval of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) concussion substitute policy. Gavaskar believes that the rule, allowing like-for-like replacements, is often misused, and in some cases, he argues, it is a consequence of player incompetence.
The ICC’s policy permits a replacement if a player suffers a concussion or suspected concussion during a match, provided certain conditions are met.
The controversy around the rule was highlighted by Rishabh Pant’s injury. Despite the injury, Pant displayed resilience by returning to bat and achieving a half-century.
During an interview, Gavaskar stated, “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; go and play tennis or golf. You are giving a like-for-like substitute for somebody who can’t play the short ball and gets hit.”
Gavaskar recommended that a specialized committee, including medical experts, should be formed to evaluate injuries and eliminate potential biases in the process.
