Aaron Finch Suffers Concussion After Blow On Head During Sheffield Shield Game

Australia’s limited-overs captain Aaron Finch had to be substituted during the Sheffield Shield clash between Victoria and New South Wales after suffering a blow on his head. The Australia star was struck on his helmet and suffered delayed concussion at the MCG on Saturday. The mishap happened when Aaron Finch was fielding at short-leg.

Tail-ender Steve O’Keefe flicked a James Pattinson delivery and the ball went on to hit Finch straight into his helmet. While Finch continued fielding in close after being assessed by doctor, he did suffer delayed concussion symptoms during the lunch break. He was replaced in the eleven by Travis Dean. Travis was batting for his Premier Cricket side Footscray at Windy Hill when he was told to replace Finch,

The concussion substitute rule has been in place in the Sheffield Shield since the 2017-18 season and was introduced into international cricket earlier this year, with Marnus Labuschagne becoming Test cricket’s first replacement player when Steve Smith was concussed during the Ashes. Since then, a number of cricketers have been substituted due to concussion.

On-field injuries and precaution:

The ICC has been taking all possible measures in order to keep the players safe on field. Their effort has only increased after the tragic passing away of Australian batsman Phil Hughes in 2014. Hughes had lost his life after he was hit by a bouncer in a Sheffield Shield match between South Australia and New South Wales at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

He was wearing a helmet, but the ball struck an unprotected area just below his left ear. Hughes sustained a brain haemorrhage and died two days later without regaining consciousness at a nearby hospital. The players now wear helmet attachment that is designed to better protect the back of the neck and head. The ICC has also introduced concussion substitute in games to make sure the players get enough time to recover from injuries.

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