Ben Stokes and Gautam Gambhir had contrasting opinions on a possible rule change
Photo : AP
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Ben Stokes and Gautam Gambhir were not in agreement
- Rishabh Pant injured himself on Day 1
- ICC have called for trials of a possible new rule
Rishabh Pant's nasty injury on Day 1 of the fourth Test between India and England at Old Trafford Cricket Ground in Manchester has sparked debates over whether injury substitutions should be allowed, with Gautam Gambhir and Ben Stokes voicing their opinions.
The Indian head coach and England captain were on opposite ends of the spectrum. While Gambhir backed the idea and referred to India's situation in the fourth Test.
"Absolutely, I'm all for it.If the umpires and the match referee sees and feels that is a major injury, I think it's very important. It's very important to have this rule where you can get a substitute, that is, if it's [the injury] very visible. There's nothing wrong in doing that, especially in a series like this where it's been such a closely-fought series in the previous three Test matches. Imagine if we would've had to play with 10 men against 11. How unfortunate would this be for," said Gambhir in the post-match press conference.
However, Stokes was not a fan of the idea and claimed that it would be a rule that will have a lot of loopholes, which teams can exploit and stated that injuries are a part of the game that teams have to deal with.
"I think that there would just be too many loopholes for teams to be able to go through. You pick your 11 for a game; injuries are part of the game. I completely understand the concussion replacement: player welfare, player safety. But I think the conversation should just honestly stop around injury replacements because if you stick me in an MRI scanner, I could get someone else in straightaway.
"If you stick anyone else with an MRI scanner, a bowler is going to show, 'Oh yeah, you've got a bit of inflammation around your knee. Oh sweet, we can get another fresh bowler in'. I just think that conversation should be shut down and stopped," said Stokes in his chat with the media after the draw.
Last month, ICC stated that trials will be held for injury replacements for six months in domestic cricket from October 2025.
Currently, substitutions are only allowed in case of concussions. Previously, a provision was also made to replace a player if he tests positive for COVID-19.
