Impact of ICC's New Rules: Zimbabwe's Brian Bennett Out for 7 Days

New Cycle of the World Test Championship Begins

The latest cycle of the World Test Championship (WTC) has commenced, bringing with it significant changes to cricket regulations. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has recently modified certain 'Match Playing Conditions,' and one notable change has already made its impact felt. During the first Test match between Zimbabwe and the reigning World Test champions, South Africa, a player had to exit the game due to injury. Zimbabwe's Brian Bennett sustained an injury while batting and will be sidelined for a week.

Zimbabwe's Struggles in the First Test

On the second day of the Test match in Bulawayo against South Africa, Zimbabwe began their innings with Brian Bennett and T. Kyatano as openers. However, Kyatano was dismissed in the very first over by debutant fast bowler Cody Yusuf. Yusuf continued to trouble the Zimbabwean batting lineup, sending Nick Welch back to the pavilion in the fifth over. With just 23 runs on the board, Zimbabwe found themselves in a precarious position, which worsened when Bennett had to leave the field unexpectedly.

Bennett's Injury Details

In the sixth over of the innings, Bennett attempted a hook shot off the last delivery from left-arm pacer Quena Mafaka but failed to connect properly. The ball struck his helmet with considerable force, causing him to sit down on the pitch. Medical staff rushed to assess his condition, and although Bennett initially seemed ready to continue, he ultimately decided to retire hurt after facing three balls in the next over.

Concussion Protocols in Effect

Shortly after his exit, Zimbabwe Cricket issued a statement confirming that Bennett had suffered a concussion, which ruled him out of the match. The board announced that Prince Masvaure would replace him in the playing eleven. Before retiring hurt, Bennett had scored 19 runs off 28 balls and appeared to be in good form.

New ICC Concussion Rules

With his withdrawal from the match, Bennett will be unable to return to the cricket field for at least the next seven days. This is due to the ICC's recent announcement regarding concussion protocols, which were introduced alongside the new WTC cycle that began with the Sri Lanka-Bangladesh Test series. The ICC clarified that if a player suffers a concussion during a match and is substituted, that player cannot return for a minimum of seven days. Consequently, Brian Bennett has become the first player affected by this new rule.