Substitute (cricket)

The use of substitutes is known from the 18th century. In the report of a match on Monday, 5 September 1748, the role is termed a "Seeker-out"; this was in the sense that George Smith, who was carrying an injury and had been granted a substitute fielder in previous matches, was denied one in this match.[1] The practice of allowing substitutes was varied and inconsistent in the 19th Century. In 1870, a match occurred between the MCC and Nottinghamshire. Substitutes were allowed early in this match but this was condemned by the press, and by the conclusion of the match they were refused.[2]

The first-ever use of a substitute in first-class cricket occurred in The University Match between Oxford and Cambridge in 1891, when Thomas Case replaced Frederic Thesiger in the Oxford XI, after Thesiger had injured himself while fielding on the first morning of the match.[3]

A substitute is permitted to take catches as with any other fielder, and on some occasions does. The first occasion in Test cricket was in the Test between England and Australia in 1884,[4] when Australia's captain, Billy Murdoch, took a catch from his teammate Tup Scott while playing as a substitute for England. The highest number of catches by a substitute fielder in a Test match is four, a record shared by Gursharan Singh, Younis Khan, Virender Sehwag, and Jackson Bird.[5] However, substitute fielders' catches do not count towards individual stats.

In recent years, there have been arguments made for cricket to allow substitutes in first-class games, as cricket forbids full substitutes for most injuries or tactical reasons. In 2019, concussion substitutes were allowed in Test matches and other international games for the first time.[6] Arguments in favour of general substitutes have been made from a perspective of improving the game,[7] coping with increasing injury rates due to the modern schedule,[8] to follow the lead of other sports in trying to manage concussion more responsibly[9] and to provide greater opportunities for players to gain experience in first-class cricket.[10] However, there is an equally strong viewpoint that the nature of the first-class contest may be diminished[11] with a summary suggesting that although medical experts would recommend introduction of substitutes the majority of players are still not in favour.[12]

When a player leaves the ground due to injury and is replaced by a substitute fielder, they are generally not permitted to return and immediately resume bowling (or batting if their team's innings commences while they are off the field). The injured player is required to spend a period back on the field at least equal to the time that they were absent before resuming bowling, or batting should a change of innings occur. Variations of the time periods required and the circumstances of the players return to the field apply in different forms of the game.[13]

If a bowler is injured during an over and cannot complete it, another bowler must bowl the remaining deliveries. The bowler chosen to do so cannot be the bowler who bowled the previous over, and must not bowl the following over either. A substitute fielder may take the place of the injured bowler whilst they are off the field, but they may not bowl.

• 1.2.8.1 In assessing whether the nominated Concussion Replacement should be considered a like-for-like player, the ICC Match Referee should consider the likely role the concussed player would have played during the remainder of the match, and the normal role that would be performed by the nominated Concussion Replacement.
• 1.2.8.2 If the ICC Match Referee believes that the inclusion of the nominated Concussion Replacement, when performing their normal role, would excessively advantage their team, the Match Referee may impose such conditions upon the identity and involvement of the Concussion Replacement as he/she sees fit, in line with the overriding objective of facilitating a like-for-like replacement for the concussed player.

For example: If David Warner, a pure batsman, is injured in a Test match and Australia name Mitchell Marsh, an all-rounder, as his replacement, then the match-referee has the power to restrict Marsh from bowling in the match.

The rules were implemented for saving a team from having a disadvantage if one of their players suffers a concussion and is out from the match. The rules also restrict a player from taking unnecessary risks by putting their health on the line in a bid to help their team in a match.

Every circumstance is going to be different depending on when the player is requested to be replaced. If a bowler's injured and they've only got a batting innings left then the decision might be different to if the same player was injured and there was a bowling innings left. It's very much around the circumstances around the game and the referees will be given guidelines as will the teams how to interpret those, But it's very much around what is the likely role of the injured player for rest of the match and who is most like-for-like with the role that player will play. The match referee could put conditions on a player being involved. So, if there's an allrounder replacing a batter then he might put a condition that player is unavailable to bowl during the match. The referee has some flexibility to best accommodate a like-for-like replacement.

—Geoff Allardice, ICC General Manager explained before 2019 Ashes series.[21]

The first use of such a substitute was during the Second Test at Lord's in the 2019 Ashes series between England and Australia, when Steve Smith was hit on the neck by a bouncer by Jofra Archer in the first innings. He was later diagnosed as having suffered concussion and was ruled out of the remainder of the Test. Marnus Labuschagne was named as the official replacement for Smith and came to bat on the final day of the Test.[22]

On November 1, 2019, the West Indies player Shabika Gajnabi became the first concussion substitute in women's cricket when she replaced Chinelle Henry, who was concussed after hitting the advertising boards while fielding in an ODI game against India.[23]