Former Australian batsman Mark Waugh has called for the ICC to re-evaluate their concussion protocols after Ravindra Jadeja’s controversial substitution at Manuka Oval on Friday evening.
During the first T20 against Australia, Jadeja was struck in the helmet by a Mitchell Starc delivery in the 20th over of India’s innings.
The 32-year-old was substituted for spin bowler Yuzvendra Chahal, who proceeded to claim 3/25 in a Player of the Match performance as India secured an 11-run victory.
The substitution was particularly fortuitous considering Jadeja had injured his hamstring earlier in the match, and almost certainly would not have bowled in the run chase.
Footage of Australian coach Justin Langer in a fiery exchange with match referee David Boon during the innings break went viral and sparked plenty of debate.
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On Sunday, Waugh recommended the ICC adjust their concussion protocols to ensure no teams could be accused of exploiting the newly-introduced system.
“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 needs to look at employing a medical officer or doctor who is neutral to make the decision.”
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On Saturday, the BCCI confirmed Jadeja had been withdrawn from the remainder of the series due to lingering concussion concerns.
Despite Friday evening’s blow up, Langer believes the concussion protocols have been an “absolutely brilliant” addition to the game.
“We all had to learn to live with it five years ago,” Justin told Fox Cricket on Sunday. “The protocols are so strict now we know exactly what is happening.”
“It was just a really strange situation … we saw Ravi Jadeja go down with a hamstring and then he got a hit and then all of a sudden we found out he was out for concussion.
“As a general rule, the concussion protocols are strict, we adhere to them closely and they’re very important in our game.”