England fast bowler Josh Tongue has been ruled out of the T20I series against New Zealand due to an undisclosed injury. The selection committee has chosen tongue’s replacement as veteran seamer Chris Jordan, reports Cricket Live Score.
Tongue joins fellow uncapped (in T20Is) bowler John Turner in missing out due to injury. He had a strong start to his Test career this summer, appearing in two Tests at Lord’s (against Ireland and Australia) and taking 10 wickets at 25.7. He was expected to play in all four matches as England prepares to defend their T20 title in the West Indies and the United States next year.
According to Jos Buttler, the captain of England’s white-ball team, “the T20 squad was selected with the intention of considering a few other players. That has also been communicated [to Mills and Jordan]. We want to diversify the talent pool and expose some players to international cricket to see where they stand. Death bowling is a huge deal in short-form cricket, so we want to see who’s out there and give them a chance. Of course, no one is ever ruled out, but in terms of extra motivation, every player should always be motivated.”
Tongue’s injury will also keep him out of the final stages of The Hundred, where he plays for the Manchester Originals, who face Southern Brave in an eliminator on Saturday, August 26.
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