England's dynamic fast bowler Mark Wood has been sidelined from the remaining two Test matches against Sri Lanka due to a muscle strain. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed the news on Sunday, August 25, announcing that Leicestershire's 20-year-old seamer, Josh Hull, will step in as his replacement.
Wood sustained the injury during the second innings of the first Test and will miss the final two matches of the series. Hull, a left-arm seamer who stands impressively at 6ft 7in, has made a significant impact with Leicestershire, helping them secure the 2023 One-Day Cup title. He made his England Lions debut against Sri Lanka earlier this month, impressing with figures of five for 74 in a seven-wicket win.
Scheduled to assemble in London on Monday night, the England squad is gearing up for the second Test at Lord's. Hull has played nine first-class matches, taking 15 wickets at an average of 58.06. However, he boasts a stronger List A record, with 17 wickets from nine matches at an average of 24.23.
Wood's absence will undoubtedly be felt by the England team. Known for his fiery spells on home turf, Wood has consistently applied pressure on opposing batters with his exceptional pace, even if his wicket tally doesn’t fully reflect his impact over the past two seasons.
England Men's Test Squad: Ollie Pope, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Jordan Cox, Ben Duckett, Josh Hull, Dan Lawrence, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes.