Teams will be allowed to use replacement players in County Championship cricket in a season-long trial to cover illness and significant life events, as well as injuries. A player can be fully replaced by a like-for-like cricketer if the need arises, rather than just being substituted as a fielder.
The “significant life events” element includes attending childbirths and family bereavements. Such absences must be approved by the chief executives of both counties involved in the match. Replacement players will only be permitted in the County Championship, not in white-ball competitions.
There will be an eight-day stand-down period for any player withdrawn from a game due to illness or injury, intended to reduce the risk of rule-bending. Any injury or illness replacements must be cleared by the relevant counties’ chief medical officers.
The issue resurfaced after incidents such as England all-rounder Chris Woakes dislocating his shoulder while fielding against India at The Kia Oval and batting with one arm in a sling, and India’s Rishabh Pant batting on with a fractured foot. Domestic trials of replacement players have already taken place in Australia, India and South Africa, but those did not include provisions for illness or significant life events.
ECB head of cricket operations Alan Fordham said the measure is about ensuring the best-quality cricket and looking after players, while guarding against teams pushing at the edges of regulations. The ECB expects injury replacements to be used in around 25% of County Championship matches. The first round of games begins on Good Friday.
In other county news, former England international Ravi Bopara has retired from English domestic cricket after opting not to play in this season’s Vitality Blast to focus on commentating. The 40-year-old, who has played for Northamptonshire, Essex and Sussex, is considering applying to become England men’s national selector following Luke Wright’s departure. Bopara featured in every season of the Blast since its 2003 launch and scored more than 450 runs for Northamptonshire last term, including an unbeaten 105 from 46 balls in the quarter-final win over Surrey at The Kia Oval. He is currently head coach of Karachi Kings in the Pakistan Super League.