Substitute (cricket)

A substitute in the sport of cricket is a replacement player that the umpires allow when a player has been injured or become ill after the nomination of the players at the start of the game. The rules for substitutes all appear in Law 2 of the Laws of cricket.

A substitute can act for the injured or ill player in the field, although he may not bowl, bat, or act as wicket-keeper or as captain, unless otherwise agreed by the captains. A famous example is the 1986 Test between England and New Zealand at Lords, where England used 4 different wicketkeepers due to injury to their original wicketkeeper. (But see "Tactical substitute" below.) The substitute may also act as a runner when the injured or ill player is batting, but may not bat himself. A player may bat, bowl and field even if he has had a substitute for part of the game. If a player has a runner, he may be given out if either he or his runner transgresses the rules.

Retired hurt

If a batsman gets injured or falls ill while batting, he may retire and resume his innings at the dismissal or retirement of another batsman. If he cannot return of the innings, the batting side must declare after all other batsmen are dismissed (except the not out bastmen). This is often likely if the batmen requires medical attention away from the ground (which they often do). It is therefore possible for the side batting last in a match to lose for declaring at nine wickets down.

Retired out

See Retired out.

Restrictions on injured fielder

When a player leaves the groud due to injury and is replaced by a substitute fielder, he/she is 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 of time back on the field at least equal to the time that they were absent before resuming bowling. Variations of the time periods required and the circumstances of the players return to the field apply in different forms of the game. [ [http://icc-cricket.yahoo.com/about-icc/rules-regulations.html] ICC rules and regulations]

Tactical substitute

In 2005, the International Cricket Council announced, as part of a package of changes to the playing conditions for One Day Internationals to be trialled over a ten-month period, that football-style tactical substitutions would be permitted. Each team was to be allowed one substitute, who had to be named before the toss was made, and could be introduced at any stage of the match. The NatWest Challenge series between England and Australia in July saw the first use of these new regulations, which did not apply to other forms of cricket such as Test matches.

This change, however, was widely criticised by players, commentators, and fans. In particular, it was said to give the team that wins the toss an even greater advantage than usual. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/england/4518470.stm]

In March 2006 players and officials started to rebel against this controversial rule and a one-day international series between South Africa and Australia saw the players agree to boycott the rule. Just a few weeks later the International Cricket Council announced that the rule was being withdrawn, and it is no longer used.

In the Ashes test series of 2005, Ricky Ponting complained about what he regarded as the tactical substitution of specialist fielders for weaker bowlers in the English team, which he argued was against the spirit of cricket. English bowlers were frequently substituted at the end of bowling spells and replaced with fresh fielders. The English coach argued that these substitutions were either legitimate injuries or players "anwering the call of nature". Ponting was fined 75% of his match fee for dissent after being run out by a substitute fielder during the fourth test. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/england/4194418.stm] Ponting slams England sub policy] In 2008 the International Cricket Council tightened the regulations on the use substitutions, saying "Substitute fielders shall only be permitted in cases of injury, illness or other wholly acceptable reasons...and should not include what is commonly referred to as a 'comfort break'" [ [http://www.smh.com.au/news/cricket/ponting-set-to-take-comfort-from-icc-new-fielding-rules/2008/07/04/1214950998350.html] Ponting set to take comfort from ICC new fielding rules]

References