Zimbabwe's Brian Bennett suffers concussion; Prince Masvaure named replacement: Details
What's the story
Zimbabwe opener Brian Bennett has been ruled out of the ongoing 1st Test against South Africa after suffering a concussion. The injury was sustained when he was struck on the helmet while trying to smash a bouncer from pacer Kwena Maphaka. At the time of the incident, Bennett was batting at 19 (25) on Day 2. Notably, Prince Masvaure has replaced Bennett as the concussion substitute.
Match update
Bennett withdraws from the match
Notably, Bennett was hit on the helmet when the ball took an inside edge. The Zimbabwe batter, who received on-field medical attention, continued to bat for a while. However, he went off the field in the next over. Zimbabwe Cricket confirmed Bennett's withdrawal from the match during the lunch interval. Following concussion protocols, Prince Masvaure has replaced him for the remainder of this Test match.
Player profiles
Masvaure replaces Bennett
Bennett was coming off a solid 139 against England in the one-off Test in Nottingham. He has 4 fifty-plus scores in just seven Tests (two tons). As mentioned, he was batting at 19 before retiring hurt. South Africa had declared for 418/9 in the first innings. His replacement, Masvaure's last Test appearance was in July last year, against Ireland. He scored a half-century in that game. The 37-year-old has over 5,700 runs in First-Class cricket.
Explained
Concussion substitute explained
In July 2019, the ICC allowed the use of like-for-like replacements for players suffering a concussion during an ongoing international match (each format). Australia's Marnus Labuschagne was the first-ever concussion substitute in international cricket. He replaced Steve Smith in the 2019 Lord's Test against England, after the latter was struck by a bouncer from Jofra Archer. Notably, the substitute gets a go-ahead by the ICC Match Referee.