Will ICC adopt injury sub rule? Sean Abbott is 1st injury sub in FC cricket

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On August 1, 2019, the sport of cricket witnessed a major change when ICC debuted the concussion substitution rule, which allowed teams to have a like-for-like substitution for a player mid-game if the player suffered a concussion injury. However, ever since that day, talks around allowing teams to request player substitutions for other serious injuries apart from just concussion also started to grow.

 

Many former cricketers and cricket experts believe that a sudden in-match injury throws a team off balance and sometimes even shifts the momentum of the match completely, and they demanded ICC introduce a player substitution for serious in-game injuries. 

 

Cricket Australia took the first initiative and incorporated the injury sub rule in their 2025–26 domestic First-Class season, under which teams can substitute a player for serious injuries mid-game.

Sean Abbott becomes first user of the rule

Aussie pacer Sean Abbott, who is playing for New South Wales in the ongoing Sheffield Shield, becomes the first player to make use of this rule after he was forced off the field on Wednesday, splitting the webbing on his right hand while trying to stop a powerful shot from Peter Handscomb during the second session. Unable to continue, Abbott was replaced by reserve seamer Charlie Stobo after team medics ruled the injury would prevent him from bowling further.

 

Under Cricket Australia’s new trial substitution rules for the Sheffield Shield, Victoria also has the option to make a tactical replacement by the end of day two.

How does the injury sub rule work under CA’s trial?

Cricket Australia (CA) is adopting a system similar to the one the BCCI introduced earlier this year, trialling the use of injury substitutes in the first five rounds of the 2025–26 Sheffield Shield season. Under the new rule, teams can replace an injured or ill player anytime up to stumps on day two, with the opposing side then allowed to make a like-for-like tactical substitution in response.

 

The replacement must match the injured player’s role — for example, a batter for a batter or a fast bowler for a fast bowler — and the match referee will assess the legitimacy of each request. Players subbed out will also face a mandatory 12-day stand-down period from domestic and national competitions. The trial aims to evaluate the rule’s potential use in future Test matches.

What is BCCI’s injury substitution rule?

Under the BCCI’s regulation for the 2025–26 domestic season, injury substitutions are only permitted for external injuries sustained during the match, such as cuts or fractures, while internal issues like muscle strains are not eligible. Teams must also nominate potential injury replacements at the toss, ensuring clarity before play begins. The only exception applies to wicketkeepers — if no reserve ‘keeper is named, the match referee can approve a replacement from outside the original list of substitutes.

Why ICC should adopt the rule for Test cricket

Modern-day cricket sees players participating in more matches across formats and leagues, and the new aggressive approach makes them more vulnerable to injury. With no injury substitution allowed, injured players often try to push through the pain and continue playing to avoid their team being at a disadvantage, risking further aggravation of the injury and extending the recovery period.

 

In the recently concluded Test series between India and England, we saw Indian vice-captain Rishabh Pant come out to bat despite a leg injury to help his team avoid a potential loss in the fourth match of the series, while in the fifth match, English pacer Chris Woakes batted on the final day of the fifth Test with one hand tucked under his sweater after suffering a hand fracture. While their efforts were commended by everyone, the talk around the need for injury substitutes intensified.

A successful trial can bring the change

With BCCI and CA, two of the cricketing giants, introducing the injury sub rule, other countries might follow suit. However, even if other countries decide not to adopt a successful trial, India and Australia might give ICC enough justification to introduce the rule internationally as a measure to improve player safety and well-being in the game. But to find out what ICC’s final call will be, we may just have to wait and see how things turn out.