Injury substitutes are in line to be trialled in the Sheffield Shield this summer, opening the way for their potential introduction to Test cricket as soon as next year. Cricket Australia is considering the revolutionary move, which would take place over howls of protests by some players and traditionalists. Ben Stokes has called the idea “absolutely ridiculous”, and Graeme Smith once said it would “soften” Test cricket’s place as an unrivalled examination of minds and bodies. Since 1877, Tests have been played between teams of 11 players with no allowance for substitutions in the event of injury. In 2019, the playing conditions were adjusted for the unique circumstances of concussion, but switching an otherwise injured player for a fit one remained out of bounds. In June, the International Cricket Council approved a trial of injury substitutions in domestic competitions from October this year, stating: “A player who suffers a serious injury on the field of play at any time after the match has started (including any pre-match warm-up period) may be replaced for the remainder of the match by a fully participating like-for-like player.”