2. Player replacement for injury, rep duties or premier cricket duty... Reg 23.2

EXISTING REGULATION

Reg 23.2

Last reviewed 2020, after initial introduction in 2019.

WHAT'S THIS ABOUT?

A club president expressed some discontent because injury player replacement involves a 3 week suspension yet other player replacement conditions do not.

COMMENTS

The player suspension is a fundamental part of the injury Replacement idea.

Reg 23.2.27 is very specific about the suspension applying ONLY to illness/injury replacements.

For many years Subbies struggled with the angst of teams playing with a player short due to unforeseen illness or injury of team members between weekends. From a practical, "enjoyment of weekend recreation" point of view this was always incomprehensible. Modern life is more demanding than this and in the 2020's team restrictions like this are unsustainable.

Problems were:

• Verifying the nature of the illness or injury (has he **really** done his knee or is this a 'visiting Grandma' situation?)
• How do we control willy nilly player replacements (i.e half the team changes each and every week.) 
• Add to that possibly erroneous idea that once named a cricket team cannot allow replacements. (Go read Law 1.2, guys...)
  

Two seasons back the injury replacement rule was introduced. 

The deal is:

• if a player is injured/ill/unavailable then "fine, you can swap as long as you make an application and get a written approval from ManCom, no contest, no questions asked, you do not need a medical certificate or a note from your Mum" 
• but that guy misses out for 3 Saturdays (week 2 of the current game and then the next two dayer or next 2 x 1 dayers)

Two much older rules allowing replacements for Rep players and Premier cricket duty were rearranged and incorporated into Regulation 23. These rules are hardly ever used. (Maybe twice in a decade...) 

There is no enforced suspension for players who are replaced using Rep or Premier Cricket regulations. Reg 23.2.26-23.2.28 are clear enough to anyone who can read 'em.

On reflection that incorporation may have been a bit confusing. But I'm not gonna change it back.

As a review note I think the Illness/Injury Replacement rule is working well. Stats are showing 30 odd replacements in 300 odd 2 day games in each of the last two seasons.

It's got good acceptance and it's being used. I'm pleased with it's success.  

 

PROPOSED CHANGES

Nil 

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 ABM 21-Jun-2021    Revised 27-Jun-2021

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