Reece Topley likely to miss rest of World Cup with broken finger; Jofra Archer to NOT join in as replacement

Reece Topley has a suspected broken finger, ruling him out of the remainder of the World Cup 2023. Topley suffered another injury blow during the game against South Africa in Mumbai, having recovered from the shoulder injury before the start of the tournament. With him injured now, England will look to replace him, but it cannot be Jofra Archer, who is already in India as part of the travelling reserves as he continues to recover from an elbow stress fracture.

Topley has been England’s best bowler in this World Cup. After picking four wickets against Bangladesh in his side’s only win thus far, the lanky left-arm seamer picked three against the Proteas (two with a broken finger) but didn’t come out to bat in the innings. Topley accounted for dangerous Quinton de Kock, captain Aiden Markram and David Miller.

On the last ball of his fourth over, Topley tried stopping a fierce drive by Rassie van der Dussan, only for it to hit the tip of his left index finger and injure it. Topley left the field immediately and Joe Root completed his over. Upon getting treated, the seamer returned and removed two batters but leaked runs at the end, as South Africa smashed the highest ODI score against England (399 for seven).

Matthew Mott, England’s coach, acknowledged the heart and spirit shown by Topley, saying,"I thought Reece Topley going back out to bowl with a broken finger showed great spirit. We're still waiting on that, but it's very much looking like it's a crack. Certainly, that's the early diagnosis, but we'll find out properly with X-rays,” Mott told Sky Sports after the game that England lost by 229 runs.

Who will replace Topley?

Although an official confirmation on Topley is not out yet, with England awaiting the results of the scans, the question arises who will replace him in the squad?

Commenting on why Jofra cannot be considered for selection despite training with the team, Mott said,"Jof (Jofra) is actually not going to be considered for selection," Mott confirmed. "He's come out, he's reported to the medical staff, but he's not going to be able to play a part in the end of this campaign."

While there is no stipulation as to having a like-to-like replacement for an injured player in the squad, right-arm seamer Brydon Carse is expected to be called up when a decision on Topley comes out.

A loss at the hands of South Africa will hurt England as their chances of sealing the semis spot have further reduced. For them to fight for a place in the final four, England must win their remaining five matches, two of which are against India and Australia.

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