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England’s promising fast bowler, Josh Tongue, has been dealt a major setback as he has been ruled out of the upcoming white-ball tour of West Indies due to an undisclosed injury. The unfortunate incident occurred during the England Lions training camp in the UAE, forcing Tongue to miss both the three-match ODI series and the five-match T20I series.
Josh Tongue’s white-ball debut delayed
Tongue, who made his Test debut against Ireland at Lord’s earlier this year, was aiming for his international white-ball debut in the West Indies tour. The young fast bowler made a notable impact in the Lord’s Ashes Test, claiming five wickets, including dismissing star batsmen Steve Smith and David Warner twice.
Replacement announced
Durham pacer Matthew Potts has been named as Tongue’s replacement for the three-match ODI series. Potts, part of the current training camp in the UAE, is set to fill the void left by Tongue. Both Tongue and Potts recently secured two-year ECB contracts for 2023-24, reflecting their potential and contributions to the team.
Also READ: Dwayne Bravo slams Cricket West Indies over brother Darren Bravo’s exclusion from the ODI squad for England series
T20I replacement yet to be decided
While a replacement has been confirmed for the ODI leg, no announcement has been made regarding the replacement for the T20I series. The absence of Tongue is a significant blow, and England will be carefully considering the available options to strengthen their pace attack for the shorter format games.
ODI series to kick-off in Antigua
The three-match ODI series is scheduled to commence on Sunday, December 3, in Antigua. The subsequent match on December 6 will also take place at the same venue, with the final clash set for December 9 in Barbados. Barbados will additionally host the inaugural T20I series game on December 12.
Despite the setback, the England team will aim to regroup and adapt to the absence of Tongue as they face the West Indies in what promises to be an exciting and challenging series.
