The County Championship’s injury replacement rules were questioned again as Lancashire’s request to replace seamer Ajeet Singh Dale with Tom Bailey was denied.
Singh Dale was bowling his second over of the day against Gloucestershire, his former club, when he pulled up with a hamstring injury.
Lancashire head coach Steven Croft said they asked for Bailey, also a right-arm fast bowler and who was already in the matchday squad, to play in his place but this was turned down on the basis of Bailey’s superior experience.
Ollie Sutton, an all-rounder who bowls left-arm seam, has been called up from Lancashire’s second team instead.
“In our eyes, Tom is deemed to be a like-for-like replacement,” Croft told Radio Lancashire.
“It’s not like someone is coming in and bowling 10mph quicker. Instead, we’ve had to call up a left-arm seaming all-rounder and that doesn’t sit right with us really.
“I don’t know how it’s come to that conclusion but we’ve got to crack on with it.
“I think it was based on stats and experience, but none of that was stipulated to us when the regulations came out.”
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has declined to comment.
