Cricket Australia Introduces New Injury Replacement Rule for Sheffield Shield 2025
Cricket Australia will test a new injury replacement rule in the first five rounds of this season's Sheffield Shield. If a player gets injured, the team can bring in a substitute, and the opposing team can also make a swap. CA has shared the details with all six state teams, and the rule will be used for the first half of the season starting Saturday. This rule is different from the one India recently introduced in their domestic first-class games.
The Australian rule is made to cover all types of injuries, stop fast bowlers from being overworked if a fellow bowler gets hurt early, and keep matches fair while avoiding misuse. In India, the BCCI has a "serious injury replacement" rule for multi-day games. Right now, teams can make unlimited concussion substitutions in a four-day Shield match, and that won’t change. But under the new Australian trial, both teams can make an extra like-for-like injury replacement up to the end of day two.
Under the new Australian rule, teams can replace any injured or sick player with someone of the same type like a fast bowler for a fast bowler or a batter for a batter starting from any time after the toss. The team must ask the match referee, who will check the injury and approve the swap. This is different from the BCCI rule, which only allows replacements for injuries that happen during the game and are caused by an external event like a hit that causes a cut or fracture not internal issues like a hamstring strain.
The issue gained attention during the recent England-India Test series, where Rishabh Pant suffered a fractured foot and Chris Woakes had a dislocated shoulder. One key feature of the Australian rule is that the opposing team can also make a “tactical substitute” if the other team uses an injury replacement, but it must be the same type of player as the one injured. For example, if a fast bowler is replaced, the opposition can only replace a fast bowler in response, not a batter.
The match referee can set limits on what the replacement players can do. For instance, a batter replacing another batter who doesn’t bowl may be told not to bowl. Replacement players also take on any warnings or penalties the original player had, like warnings for running on the pitch. Additionally, any player replaced for injury or illness must sit out for a mandatory 12-day non-playing period starting from the second day of the match.
This non-playing period affects other competitions too. For example, a player replaced early in round one would miss the One-Day Cup matches on October 9 and the second Shield round starting October 15. Teams will usually travel with 12 players, except for Western Australia or teams traveling to WA, who can carry 13 due to travel difficulties. If needed, an injury replacement can be flown in during the first two days for away teams if the 12th man isn’t a like-for-like substitute.
CA encourages teams to carry a spare fast bowler as the 12th player since most injuries involve fast bowlers. The ICC has confirmed that all matches during this trial will keep first-class status. CA will collect feedback from the first five rounds to see how the trial works and may extend, adjust or cancel it in rounds six and seven based on the results.
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Applicability | First five rounds of Sheffield Shield 2025 |
| Injury/Illness Coverage | Any injury or illness occurring after the toss during the first two days |
| Replacement Type | Like-for-like replacement only (e.g., fast bowler for fast bowler, batter for batter) |
| Approval Process | Request must be made to the match referee who verifies injury and approves replacement |
| Opposition Response | Opposing team allowed to make a tactical substitution of the same player type by day two |
| Substitution Restrictions | Match referee may limit the replacement player's involvement (e.g., restrict bowling) |
| Concussion Substitutions | Unlimited concussion substitutions remain allowed throughout the 4-day match |
| Player Non-playing Period | Substituted players must observe a mandatory 12-day non-playing quarantine period |
| Squad Size | Teams limited to 12 players (except WA teams allowed 13) |
| Additional Player Allowance | Extra player can be flown in within first two days if 12th man is not a suitable sub |
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