Zak suffers fracture ruled out of ENG vs SL
England will play a three-match home Test series with Sri Lanka from August 21. England have announced a 14-man squad for the upcoming three-match Test series against Sri Lanka. England opener Zak Crawley has been ruled out of the series after fracturing his right little finger in the third Test against the West Indies. Along with this, fast bowler Dillon Pennington has also been ruled out of the series due to a hamstring injury while playing for Northern Superchargers in The Hundred competition.
Zak Crawley suffers fracture, ruled out of England vs Sri Lanka Test series
England have announced a 14-man squad for the upcoming three-match Test series against Sri Lanka. Named opener Zak Crawley will be ruled out of the series after fracturing his right little finger in England’s third Test against the West Indies. Along with this, fast bowler Dillon Pennington will also be ruled out of the series due to a hamstring injury while playing for Northern Superchargers in The Hundred competition.
Pennington was with the team for the three-match series against the West Indies last month. Three Lions Test captain Ben Stokes was impressed with the 25-year-old and said Pennington is ready to play if his services are needed against Sri Lanka.
Best fast bowler in County Championship
The 25-year-old has been one of the best fast bowlers in the ongoing County Championship this season. For Nottinghamshire, he took 31 wickets in eight matches at an average of 23.80.
The absence of these two players led to Jordan Cox and Olly Stone being included in the Test squad. Cox plays as a middle-order batsman with Essex. He was part of the white-ball squad during the tour of Pakistan last year.
Cox has been the leading run-scorer for Essex in this season’s County Championship, scoring 763 runs at an average of 69.36, including three centuries to his name. For Stone, the Sri Lanka series marks his return to the England line-up for the first time since 2021. The Nottinghamshire pacer has played three Tests, taking 10 wickets at an average of 19.4.
Will be fit for Test tour of Pakistan
It is anticipated that Crawley will be fit for the Test tour of Pakistan in October, having taken a break after dropping a slip catch in England’s 10-wicket win at Edgbaston a week ago. Lawrence has played 11 Tests before Ben Stokes became captain, and has previously played at No. 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 for England.
However, his promotion to temporary opener is in keeping with the policy of selecting players based on performance rather than their position. The 27-year-old has scored 584 runs in the County Championship this summer at a strike rate of 75, while Cox, a 23-year-old former Kent player, has an average of 69 and a strike rate of 67.
Bowler Dillon Pennington also hamstring injury
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced its 14-man squad on Sunday, saying that opener Jack Crawley will not play in the three-match Test series against Sri Lanka due to a fracture in the little finger of his right hand. 26-year-old Crawley suffered this problem during England’s third Test win against the West Indies last month.
Fast bowler Dillon Pennington will also be out due to a hamstring injury. Middle-order batsman Jordan Cox has been included in the Test squad for the first time. 23-year-old Cox had earlier toured Pakistan with the white-ball team in 2022. Fast bowler Ollie Stone will also return to the Test team for the first time since June 2021. The England team, captained by Ben Stokes, will host Sri Lanka at Old Trafford for the first Test starting on August 21.
Lawrence included in several England squads
Lawrence has been included in several England squads but has not played a Test since 2022. The 27-year-old moved from Essex to Surrey over the winter and had a superb start to the County Championship season, scoring two centuries and three fifties at an average of 53.09 and a strike rate of 74.68.
England made several changes to their squad ahead of the West Indies series, with Gus Atkinson and Jamie Smith given Test debuts and now Essex batsman Jordan Cox has been included in the squad for the first time.
Conclusion
Dan Lawrence, who returns to Test cricket later this month, will open for England, with Zak Crawley ruled out of the series against Sri Lanka due to a finger fracture.
Surrey’s Lawrence was the extra batsman in the squad that beat the West Indies 3-0 last month and will play at the top of the order alongside Ben Duckett, while Jordan Cox – ironically the player signed by Essex last year to replace the Oval-bound Lawrence – is among the 14-man squad that also includes Olly Stone for the first time in more than three years.
