Former Australia batsman Mark Waugh believes the International Cricket Council should consider appointing a neutral doctor to assess players hit on the head and make a decision about concussions.
All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja was replaced by spinner Yuzvendra Chahal as a concussion substitute after he was hit on the head in the first T20 International in Canberra on Friday. Chahal went on to play a major role in India’s 11-run win with figures of 3/25.
First T20I: All you need to know about Ravindra Jadeja-Yuzvendra Chahal concussion subsitution
“I think something the ICC has to look at is whether you need a neutral appointed doctor to make the concussion decision,” Waugh said on Fox Cricket.
“Obviously the team doctor of the Indian team made that ruling. I’m not saying he did anything wrong, but I think the ICC need to look at employing a medical officer or doctor who is neutral to make the decision.”
The decision has stirred a controversy with former Australia captain Mark Taylor cautioning against abusing the concussion substitute rule, saying it is for the protection of players and needs to be used fairly and responsibly.
After the decision, Australia head coach Justin Langer was seen having an animated conversation with match referee David Boon on the sidelines but it was not known whether it had anything to with Chahal being allowed as a concussion substitute.
Australia all-rounder Moises Henriques, however, questioned whether Chahal can be called a like-for-like concussion substitute for Jadeja in the post match conference.
With PTI Inputs