Cricket has on Tuesday (October 20) witnessed the first Coronavirus replacement in the domestic cricket in New Zealand after seeing a concussion substitute in the game of the gentlemen.
Well, this is the COVID-19 era and the games are being played amid the pandemic situation that has added new dimensions to the game and the latest one is the COVID-19 substitute.
On Tuesday, the Auckland fast-bowler Ben Lister became the first COVID-19 substitute in the history of cricket, replacing Mark Chapman in the ongoing Plunket Shield first-class cricket championship.
26-year-old Chapman, who has represented New Zealand in six ODIs and 24 T20Is, reportedly felt sick on Monday but was still named in the Auckland squad for their Plunket Shield fixture against Otago at Eden Park's Outer Oval, although, he then underwent a COVID-19 test.
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Later, Lister, who has featured in 18 first-class games, was named as the replacement until Chapman's COVID-19 test results are known, as the latter can rejoin the game if his test result comes back negative.
Auckland Cricket said in a statement: “Ollie Pringle makes his First-Class debut becoming No. five two four. Ben Lister starts as Covid-19 replacement with Mark Chapman awaiting test results after feeling ill yesterday.”
Meanwhile, New Zealand coach Gary Stead, who was watching the match at Eden Park, was pleased that Chapman was not penalized for doing the right thing.
Stead said; “I wasn't aware until I got here this morning, that Mark Chapman had been feeling ill and had to get a COVID-19 test. But from my perspective, it's great that he's not penalized for doing the right thing in what is obviously different times we face in the world.”
He signed off by saying, “Just shows that we and cricket aren't immune to that either, so following the right protocols is definitely the right thing to do.”
Noteworthy, the ICC has already approved the COVID-19 replacements in Test cricket given the pandemic situation across the world.
(With ESPNCricinfo Inputs)
