Right-arm paceman Josh Tongue has been ruled out of England’s upcoming Vitality IT20 Series against New Zealand due to injury.
Chris Jordan, who is the highest all-time IT20 wicket taker, has been drafted into the squad as the 23-year-old’s replacement for the four-match series.
The news comes as a blow to cricket fans, but this isn’t his first run-in with injury. In the last few years there’s been a pair of failed shoulder operations and another, involving the removal of a rib.
For 434 nights between June 2021 and August 2022, Tongue struggled with daily pains and debilitating physical symptoms. But his luck finally came through when a third shoulder specialist – David Murray – made a left-field Botox suggestion.
He went with it and within two months was back bowling.
Tongue’s return came in a 50-over match against Essex where he bowled eight overs, took 2-41 and never looked back.
Although he made just five Worcestershire appearances in 2022, he was part of the Lions squad over the winter, taking eight wickets in a match against Sri Lanka.
“To watch his shoulders go back and his chest go out after that, worked wonders for him,” explains Worcestershire head coach Alan Richardson.
“I wouldn’t want anyone to have to go through what he had to go through. He had to dig really deep. It’s the love of the game that he has. He’s a real inspiration for the guys.”
Tongue now faces another setback from which he must battle to return from ahead of the World Cup.
Sophie Ecclestone to miss Big Bash League
Sophie Ecclestone also faces time away from the action, having dislocated her right shoulder in the warm-up ahead of Manchester Originals’ match against Southern Brave on Wednesday.
Sophie Ecclestone will be a big miss after dislocating her right shoulder in the warm-up ahead of Manchester Originals’ match against Southern Brave
The 24-year-old was helped off the field at Old Trafford and went to hospital for scans.
After further assessment the ECB confirmed she would be unavailable for the Women’s Big Bash League, and England duties for the rest of the summer.
Ecclestone is the number-one ranked bowler in one-day internationals and T20s, and took 10 wickets in the Ashes Test, followed by 10 wickets across both white-ball series.
She took seven wickets in Originals’ Hundred campaign as her team missed out on qualifying for the knockouts.
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