Now Cricket opts for concussion substitutes

Match referees may be given the power to prohibit concussion substitutes from bowling, as the International Cricket Council clarified a significant amendment to their Test cricket playing conditions.

The ICC's playing conditions for the new Test Championship, which kicks off with the first Ashes Test in Birmingham on Thursday, have been tweaked to allow players who suffer concussions during a match to be replaced in their team’s XI.

The regulations specify that a 'like-for-like' replacement must come into the XI for the concussed player, but there is still grey area over what exactly that entails.

ICC Cricket Operations Manager Geoff Allardice said match referees will play a key role in determining who the concussion substitute is and could even restrict a player from bowling in order for the replacement to be considered like-for-like.

While Allardice conceded there could be loopholes, he says the playing condition was introduced with player safety in mind.