Twelfth Man in Cricket Explained

What Is the Twelfth Man in Cricket?

The twelfth man is an additional player named in the squad who can act as a substitute fielder if a member of the playing eleven is injured during a match. The role is traditionally limited — the twelfth man can field but cannot bat, bowl, or keep wicket. If a regular player is temporarily off the field (receiving treatment for an injury), the twelfth man fields in their place. This rule exists to ensure teams are never reduced below eleven fielders due to injury during play.

What the Twelfth Man Can and Cannot Do

The twelfth man can field anywhere on the boundary or in the infield. They can take catches, stop boundaries, and perform run-outs. They cannot bowl, bat in the team's innings, keep wicket, or serve as captain. If an injured player is ruled out for the remainder of a match, the twelfth man does not become a full replacement — the original player's batting and bowling duties simply cannot be performed by the substitute. This is why the loss of a key bowler to injury is so significant in Test cricket.

The Concussion Substitute Rule

The ICC introduced the Concussion Substitute rule in 2019 after increased awareness of head injury protocols. If a player is concussed during a match, a like-for-like replacement can be approved by the match referee — this substitute can bat, bowl, and field as a full replacement, unlike the traditional twelfth man. The substitute must perform a similar role (a bowler replaces a bowler, a batter replaces a batter), though match referees have some discretion. England famously used a concussion substitute in the 2019 Ashes when Steve Smith was hit by a Jofra Archer bouncer.