 "Pant was 'milking' injury, should have been 'timed out': England icon reveals sensational chatter at Old Trafford")
India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant was widely praised for his brave gesture of walking out to bat a day after suffering a fracture on his right foot during the fourth Test against England in Manchester. Pant, who was batting on 37 when he was struck by a yorker from Chris Woakes that he was attempting to reverse sweep, ended up completing his 18th Test half-century and also helped India cross the 350-mark in the process.
There are, however, those who don’t buy into Pant’s heroics in Manchester, with some believing that he was “milking” his injury, and that he should have been “timed out”.
English cricketer-turned-commentator David Lloyd revealed hearing some of these sensational comments on Pant at ‘Bumble Legends Lounge’ – Lancashire Cricket’s special hospitality experience where guests can spend time with the former all-rounder at Old Trafford’s 1864 Suite during international games.
“I’ve never had a metatarsal, which I think is somewhere in the foot, seeing Rishabh Pant. I have had a smashed hand against Andy Roberts and a broken cheekbone. I couldn’t bat on after either, although I think I did continue when I had a broken finger,” Lloyd said on talkSPORT Cricket.
“Pant looked in pain; pretty heroic of him to come out, though. Northerners, whether they are tough enough, but I was in that legends lounge today, and the consensus was ‘He has milking that injury. It can’t be that bad. He’s milked it, coming down those steps, and one or two said, ‘He should be timed out,’” the former England head coach added.
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More ShortsLloyd voices support for substitutes in cricket
Lloyd also chimed in on the discussion of substitutes in cricket, which gained traction following Pant’s injury that has ruled him out of the fifth and final Test against England that takes place at The Oval next week. While the 78-year-old disagreed with the concept of a runner, he felt that situations like that of the Indian vice-captain did call for a substitute.
“I probably am against runners, but I am pro substitutes for an external injury. It opens up a can of worms, it really does. But if it is an external injury, a break and medically he isn’t going to be fit for six weeks, you could have a like-for-like substitute. So that’s something else that you’ve got to consider. Not like replace a batter with a spinner though,” he added.
The injury has forced reserve keeper Dhruv Jurel to fill in for Pant during England’s innings, with the former having also kept wickets for the better part of the third Test at Lord’s – where Pant had suffered an finger injury.
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