ICC Cricket Committee chief Anil Kumble
The International Cricket Council (ICC) earlier this weak accepted the interim regulations recommended by the Cricket Committee while also adding a few more to the list, one of which included allowing coronavirus substitutes.
Speaking to India Today on Friday, ICC's Cricket Committee chairman Anil Kumble said that COVID-19 substitutes will be a necessity with the sport looking to resume amid the pandemic.
Kumble said that the suggestion of COVID-19 substitute was made by the medical advisory team of the board and that any player who will show the symptoms will not be eligible for participation in the remaining part of the Test series.
"Covid-19 substitute (suggestion) came from the medical advisory team. The team believes that if any kind of symptom you develop, there have been many times players have developed flu symptoms and then they have come back on the 3rd day feeling better and come back into the Test match," Anil Kumble said.
"Whereas, in these Covid-19 times, the medical advisory team advised that if any player develops symptoms, they should be out of the game completely. He should be treated like a concussion substitute wherein a like to like replacement should come in. He's out of the game.
"The substitute will be treated like a concussions substitute so that he can play and participate in the game. The player with symptoms will be out of the game."
Kumble, however, added that a lot depends on the player itself on taking care of himself at it wouldn't be possible on the behalf of the authorities involved to check the movement of the player during a series.
"Even the dressing room environment may not be the same. It's the new normal. We may have to create certain distancing measures there," Kumble said.
"On the field, it's not easy to create that. I mean, football has already come back in some form.
"We have to closely monitor this. There is no fixed solution as things keep changing. We are hoping the recommendations we have made will enable the sport to come back. And then watch and learn. That's the message. You have to closely monitor each day as it comes and take it as it comes.
"It's not going to be easy. You can't really survey every player or what he does. It's the individual's responsibility as well as how he takes care of health and safety. At the same time, within the ground, there will be precautionary measures that will be done by the cricket boards."
