ENG vs NZ T20I Series: Josh Tongue ruled out through injury, Chris Jordan roped in as replacement

England cricket team’s preparations have suffered a major setback as star bowler Josh Tongue has suffered an undisclosed injury that has seen him ruled out of the T20I series against New Zealand. Tongue, hopeful for a debut in the New Zealand series has joined John Turner on the casualty list as they miss out on the shortest format of the game. Chris Jordan has been drafted in as a replacement for Tongue as he continues his recovery.

Josh Tongue misses out

"The T20 squad has been picked with a view to having a look at a few other guys. England's white-ball captain. That's been communicated [to Mills and Jordan] as well. We want to try and broaden that talent pool and expose some people to international cricket to see where they're at,” said England captain Jos Buttler.

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Tongue had a promising start to his international career when he made his debut in the Test setup. He featured in the only Test against Ireland in June while also earning a surprise call-up to the Lord’s Test against Australia in the Ashes 2023. He has 10 wickets in two matches for the national team and his impressive spell in the Test and The Hundred saw him in the reckoning for the T20I set-up.

"Death bowling is obviously a big focus in short-form cricket and we want to see where certain people are at, and give them a chance. Of course, no one's ever ruled out, but in terms of needing extra motivation, every player should always be motivated in my eyes."

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The injury comes at the wrong time for the talented bowler as it will keep him away from The Hundred’s Eliminator clash against Southern Brave for Manchester Originals. He had an impressive stint with the team in The Hundred but now faces time out before he can feature.

ODI World Cup plans

Although the signs have been encouraging for Tongue, he is unlikely to make the ODI World Cup squad. The selectors panel led by former all-rounder Luke Wright has shown faith in Reece Topley, David Willey, Mark Wood, and Chris Woakes. They have opted not to pick up Jofra Archer for the New Zealand series, which is a prime indicator that England are focusing on the future.

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