Law 2 (Substitutes
and runners; batsman or fielder leaving the field; batsman retiring; batsman
commencing innings)
1. Substitutes and runners
(a) If the umpires are satisfied that a player has been injured
or become ill after the nomination of the players, they shall
allow that player to have
(i) a substitute acting instead of him in the field.
(ii) a runner when batting.
Any injury or illness that occurs at any time after the nomination
of the players until the conclusion of the match shall be allowable,
irrespective of whether play is in progress or not.
(b) The umpires shall have discretion, for other wholly acceptable
reasons, to allow a substitute for a fielder, or a runner
for a batsman, at the start of the match or at any subsequent
time.
(c) A player wishing to change his shirt, boots, etc. must
leave the field to do so. No substitute shall be allowed for
him.
2. Objection to substitutes
The opposing captain shall have no right of objection to any
player acting as a substitute on the field, nor as to where
the substitute shall field. However, no substitute shall act
as wicket-keeper. See 3 below.
3. Restrictions on the role of substitutes
A substitute shall not be allowed to bat or bowl nor to act
as wicket-keeper or as captain on the field of play.
4. A player for whom a substitute has acted
A player is allowed to bat, bowl or field even though a substitute
has previously acted for him.
5. Fielder absent or leaving the field
If a fielder fails to take the field with his side at the
start of the match or at any later time, or leaves the field
during a session of play,
(a) the umpire shall be informed of the reason for his absence.
(b) he shall not thereafter come on to the field during a
session of play without the consent of the umpire. See 6 below.
The umpire shall give such consent as soon as is practicable.
(c) if he is absent for 15 minutes or longer, he shall not
be permitted to bowl thereafter, subject to (i), (ii) or (iii)
below, until he has been on the field for at least that length
of playing time for which he was absent.
(i) Absence or penalty for time absent shall not be carried
over into a new day's play.
(ii) If, in the case of a follow-on or forfeiture, a side
fields for two consecutive innings, this restriction shall,
subject to (i) above, continue as necessary into the second
innings but shall not otherwise be carried over into a new
innings.
(iii) The time lost for an unscheduled break in play shall
be counted as time on the field for any fielder who comes
on to the field at the resumption of play. See Law 15.1 (An
interval).
6. Player returning without permission
If a player comes on to the field of play in contravention
of 5(b) above and comes into contact with the ball while it
is in play
(i) the ball shall immediately become dead and the umpire
shall award 5 penalty runs to the batting side. See Law 42.17
(Penalty runs). The ball shall not count as one of the over.
(ii) the umpire shall inform the other umpire, the captain
of the fielding side, the batsmen and, as soon as practicable,
the captain of the batting side of the reason for this action.
(iii) the umpires together shall report the occurrence as
soon as possible to the Executive of the fielding side and
any Governing Body responsible for the match, who shall take
such action as is considered appropriate against the captain
and player concerned.
7. Runner
The player acting as a runner for a batsman shall be a member
of the batting side and shall, if possible, have already batted
in that innings. The runner shall wear external protective
equipment equivalent to that worn by the batsman for whom
he runs and shall carry a bat.
8. Transgression of the Laws by a batsman who has a runner
(a) A batsman's runner is subject to the Laws. He will be
regarded as a batsman except where there are specific provisions
for his role as a runner. See 7 above and Law 29.2 (Which
is a batsman's ground).
(b) A batsman with a runner will suffer the penalty for any
infringement of the Laws by his runner as though he had been
himself responsible for the infringement. In particular he
will be out if his runner is out under any of Laws 33 (Handled
the ball), 37 (Obstructing the field) or 38 (Run out).
(c) When a batsman with a runner is striker he remains himself
subject to the Laws and will be liable to the penalties that
any infringement of them demands.
Additionally, if he is out of his ground when the wicket is
put down at the wicket-keeper's end, he will be out in the
circumstances of Law 38 (Run out) or Law 39 (Stumped) irrespective
of the position of the non-striker or of the runner. If he
is thus dismissed, runs completed by the runner and the other
batsman before the dismissal shall not be scored. However,
the penalty for a No ball or a Wide shall stand, together
with any penalties to either side that may be awarded when
the ball is dead. See Law 42.17 (Penalty runs).
(d) When a batsman with a runner is not the striker
(i) he remains subject to Laws 33 (Handled the ball) and 37
(Obstructing the field) but is otherwise out of the game.
(ii) he shall stand where directed by the striker's end umpire
so as not to interfere with play.
(iii) he will be liable, notwithstanding (i) above, to the
penalty demanded by the Laws should he commit any act of unfair
play.
9. Batsman leaving the field or retiring
A batsman may retire at any time during his innings. The umpires,
before allowing play to proceed, shall be informed of the
reason for a batsman retiring.
(a) If a batsman retires because of illness, injury or any
other unavoidable cause, he is entitled to resume his innings
subject to (c) below. If for any reason he does not do so,
his innings is to be recorded as 'Retired – not out'.
(b) If a batsman retires for any reason other than as in (a)
above, he may only resume his innings with the consent of
the opposing captain. If for any reason he does not resume
his innings it is to be recorded as 'Retired – out'.
(c) If after retiring a batsman resumes his innings, it shall
be only at the fall of a wicket or the retirement of another
batsman.
10. Commencement of a batsman's innings
Except at the start of a side's innings, a batsman shall be
considered to have commenced his innings when he first steps
on to the field of play, provided Time has not been called.
The innings of the opening batsmen, and that of any new batsman
at the resumption of play after a call of Time, shall commence
at the call of Play.