New Zealand allow concussion substitutions in domestic limited-overs cricket
Thursday 1 December 2016 23:23, UK
New Zealand Cricket are following Australia's lead by allowing substitutions to be made for players who suffer concussions.
New South Wales batsman Daniel Hughes became the first player to be replaced under the Australian rule in October when he was struck on the head while batting in a one-day match against Victoria.
There have also been two batsmen concussed playing domestic cricket in New Zealand this season, prompting a change in rules which will apply, at the moment, in limited-overs matches.
New Zealand's Twenty20 competition - the McDonald's Super Smash - gets underway on Sunday and the rule will be in place for those matches along with the 50-over Ford Trophy which follows.
It allows medical staff to assess a player on the field and, if concussion is diagnosed, the player can be replaced by a similar batsman, bowler or wicket-keeper.
Australia brought in the rule in the wake of Phillip Hughes' death in November 2014 when he was struck on the back of the neck by a bouncer during a Sheffield Shield match.
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As in Australia, the rule can not be brought in to the domestic four-day competition - the Plunket Shield - as it is yet to be cleared for first-class use by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
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