First-class status of cricket matches will go if injury substitutes are permitted

County chiefs have been advised to consider injury substitutes in plans to play four-day cricket from August 1 — although such a move would relinquish the first-class status of matches.

Guidance for a return to domestic action, compiled by the ECB’s science and medicine department, has singled out the threat of bowlers breaking down in playing a mini County Championship of five rounds on a regional basis, because there will not have been the recommended preparation time of four to five weeks of match-intensity bowling.

The majority of county squads are still on furlough, but all will return to training this week.

County cricket chiefs have been advised to consider injury substitutes when returning to play

To offset the limited build-up, a group of chief medical officers from the domestic game recommended the use of substitutes and/or limitations being placed on the number of overs bowled by individuals as a ‘minimum contingency for injury mitigation’.

Part of the concern is the potential for increased workloads if a bowler is sidelined in the early stages of a game.

However, introducing injury substitutes would relinquish the first-class status of matches

Currently, players can be replaced for concussion on a like-for-like basis and a similar process will be applied to those suspected to have contracted Covid-19.

The ECB have also made provision in their playing regulations to allow a replacement in the case of international call-ups, so long as they participate for at least 50 per cent of the match.

But permitting general subs and allowing teams to field extra players would flout the principles of 125 years of first-class cricket, meaning that any such competition would not be official.