Voges backs concussion substitute proposal

Australia

Australia batsman Adam Voges has backed a proposal that would allow a player to be replaced in first-class cricket if he suffered a concussion.

Voges himself was involved in a freak accident while playing for Middlesex in the County Championship last week that saw him miss the last three days of the first-class match.

The middle-order Aussie batsman was struck on the head by a ball thrown from the boundary and was immediately declared unfit to take part in for the rest of the match.

Voges told Cricket Australia's website: "We had that Sheffield Shield game in New Zealand last year where Ed Cowan got hit and was forced to retire hurt with concussion.

"I actually spoke to Nic Maddinson, the captain of New South Wales at the time, and offered the idea to them that if they could see it in the rules that a substitute would be allowed, they wouldn't get any arguments from me.

"Ultimately we weren't able to do that but the fact that you get pulled out by a member of the medical staff and you're unable to take any further part in the game (makes a substitution) a fair option.

"In my case, (while playing for Middlesex) I got hit just before tea on day one and wasn't able to partake in any more of the game, so it was a pretty big disadvantage for us by being a player down for the majority of the game."

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