Former England cricketer and renowned commentator David Lloyd stirred controversy on Thursday by questioning the legitimacy of Rishabh Pant’s injury during the ongoing Test against England at Old Trafford. Lloyd alleged that Pant may have “milked” his foot injury, suggesting the delay in his return to the field bordered on breaching the spirit—and perhaps even the laws—of the game.

Pant, who suffered a fractured fifth metatarsal after being struck by a toe-crushing yorker from Chris Woakes on Day 1, had retired hurt and was visibly in pain while being helped off the field. Despite medical advice recommending a month-and-a-half of rest, the Indian wicketkeeper-batter returned on Day 2 once India lost their sixth wicket, hobbling out to a standing ovation. He went on to add 16 more runs to his overnight tally, finishing with a valiant 54 off 75 balls.

David Lloyd, however, was unconvinced. Speaking on talkSPORT Cricket, he remarked, “I’ve never had a metatarsal—I think it’s in the foot—seeing Rishabh Pant, but I’ve had a smashed hand and a broken cheekbone. I couldn’t continue batting with either. He looked in pain, sure, but heroic? I was in the legends’ lounge today, and a few said, ‘He’s milking that injury. Can’t be that bad. He should’ve been timed out.’”

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Lloyd’s comments refer to the rarely-used time-out rule, where a batter must be at the crease within two minutes of a dismissal, failing which they can be declared out.

Pant’s injury also reignited the discussion around substitution policies in cricket. Under current ICC rules, only concussion substitutes are permitted to replace a player fully. Runners are also disallowed.

David Lloyd shared his mixed views: “I’m probably against runners, but in the case of clear external injuries—like a fracture—I think cricket should consider like-for-like substitutions. Not to the extent of replacing a batter with a spinner, but within reason.”

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While Pant’s grit won praise from many, Lloyd’s remarks added a provocative edge to an already intense Test. India, despite Pant’s fifty, were dismissed for 358 and allowed England to reach 225/2 by stumps, setting up a tense continuation in the days ahead.