Zak Crawley Ruled Out of Sri Lanka Test Series with Fractured Finger

 

Zak Crawley Ruled Out of Sri Lanka Test Series with Fractured Finger

England opener Zak Crawley will miss the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka after fracturing his right little finger. The injury occurred during England's victory over the West Indies at Edgbaston, where Crawley sustained the damage attempting a catch at second slip. The 26-year-old's absence comes as a blow to the team following their 3-0 series clean sweep.

In Crawley's absence, Surrey's Dan Lawrence is set to open alongside Ben Duckett. Additionally, Essex's Jordan Cox has earned his first call-up to the Test squad. Cox, 23, has been in stellar form in the County Championship, amassing 763 runs at an average of 69.36, including three centuries, across 12 matches this season.

Reflecting on his selection, Cox shared his surprise and excitement: "I've been thinking about the white-ball side of it, I haven't really thought about the red ball. There's so many good players out there and I thought 'I'm not going to be in that yet, or ever'. So to get that call was pretty awesome."

The squad also sees the return of Nottinghamshire fast bowler Olly Stone, who last played a Test in June 2021. Stone replaces his uncapped Notts teammate Dillon Pennington, who suffered a hamstring injury while playing for Northern Superchargers in The Hundred.

England Squad for Sri Lanka Series:

• Ben Stokes (captain)
• Gus Atkinson
• Shoaib Bashir
• Harry Brook
• Jordan Cox
• Ben Duckett
• Dan Lawrence
• Ollie Pope
• Matthew Potts
• Joe Root
• Jamie Smith (wk)
• Olly Stone
• Chris Woakes
• Mark Wood

Upcoming Fixtures:

• First Test: Emirates Old Trafford, starting 21 August
• Second Test: Lord's
• Third Test: Kia Oval

Following the Sri Lanka series, England will embark on a three-Test tour of Pakistan beginning on 7 October. While Crawley aims to be fit for the Pakistan tour, Pennington is expected to be sidelined for the remainder of the season. Cox is also being considered as a potential reserve wicketkeeper behind Jamie Smith for the winter tours of Pakistan and New Zealand.

Crawley's injury prevented him from batting in the second innings at Edgbaston, where captain Ben Stokes notably hit a 24-ball fifty, marking England's fastest in Test history. Lawrence, who has served as a reserve batter for over a year, will finally get his opportunity. He was previously in line to replace Duckett for the second Test against the West Indies when Duckett was on standby for the birth of his daughter. Lawrence last played a Test in 2022 before the current leadership of Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum took charge.

Since the start of last summer's Ashes, Crawley has been prolific, with only teammate Joe Root and India's Yashasvi Jaiswal scoring more Test runs.

With Crawley sidelined, England will look to their new and returning players to step up as they face Sri Lanka in a crucial series leading into their winter tours.