ECB revises injury replacement rules to apply only in first innings

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has updated its injury replacement trial following consultations with stakeholders. Under the revised rules, teams are now only permitted to bring in a replacement player during both teams' first innings. The previous like-for-like requirement has been relaxed, with the stipulation now applying only to the skillset of the replacement rather than a strict player match. The changes aim to bring greater clarity and fairness to how injury and illness substitutions are handled during matches.