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Glamorgan's captain, Kiran Carlson, has been quite outspoken about his concerns regarding the ECB’s new player replacement rule after the second round of the Rothesay County Championship. 

While player replacements aren’t a new idea in the County Championship having been allowed for situations like concussions, during the COVID-19 pandemic, or when a player gets called up to the England squad this year, the rule has expanded to include injuries and significant life events as part of an ICC trial. 

In their second match of the County Championship, Glamorgan went up against the defending champions, Nottinghamshire. Facing a hefty target of 478 in the second innings, the Welsh team ultimately fell short, losing by 192 runs. Nottinghamshire managed to bring in Lyndon James as an injury replacement for Fergus O'Neill on the fourth day. 

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Although Carlson doesn’t question Nottinghamshire’s motives behind the replacement, he does express worries about the rule itself, suggesting it might give teams an unfair advantage like having a fresh James ready to bowl on the final day of the First-Class match.

Throughout both divisions, there were as many as six substitutes made across the nine County Championship games. Glamorgan made a change themselves, bringing in newcomer Sean Dickson to replace all-rounder Ben Kellaway on Day 1. Meanwhile, Yorkshire and Somerset each made two substitutions, as there are no limits on the number of changes a team can implement. 

The new regulation has already sparked considerable criticism from both former and current players. Notable figures in the cricketing community, such as former England player and current Sky Sports presenter Ian Ward, along with Kent’s Sam Billings, have voiced their concerns. Alan Fordham, the ECB's head of cricket operations, has urged domestic counties to implement the new rule in good faith.