Wood Ruled Out, England Calls Up Uncapped Hull for Sri Lanka Cricket Series

The young pace bowler will replace the injured star for the remaining tests

Wood hurt his thigh while playing in the opening test at Old Trafford, and did not bowl on the last day when England won by five wickets /

By Priscilla Jepchumba

England fast bowler Mark Wood has been forced out of the test series against Sri Lanka with a right thigh injury, the England Cricket Board (ECB) announced. Wood will be substituted by Josh Hull, a left-arm seamer as said by the ECB on Sunday.

Wood hurt his thigh while playing in the opening test at Old Trafford, and the 34-year-old player did not bowl on the last day as England won by five wickets.

“England pace bowler Mark Wood has sustained a right thigh muscle injury late on the third day of the first Rothesay Test against Sri Lanka at Emirates Old Trafford,” said the England and Wales Cricket Board statement.

“He will not return to the field today and will continue to be assessed by the England medical team to determine the full extent of the injury.”

Hull, 20, from Leicestershire, received his 1st call-up to the England test team for the last two games against Sri Lanka, which begin on Thursday at Lord's and The Oval.

England has called up uncapped fast bowler Josh Hull after Mark Wood was sidelined for the final two Tests vs Sri Lanka due to a thigh strain.

Wood got injured midway through England's five-wicket victory in their series opening match at Emirates Old Trafford, from where he could not continue playing.

Hull, who is 6 feet 7 inches tall, represented the Lions against Sri Lanka earlier this month.
Chris Woakes is likely to head the pace attack at Lord's, with help from Gus Atkinson, Matthew Potts, Olly Stone, and Hull.

Olly Stone who is already in the team, could appear in his 1st Test in 3 years on Thursday at Lord's, but England has once again taken a risk by replacing Wood.
Hull, a Leicestershire prospect, turned 20 early this week and boasts of nine outstanding matches to his record.

Hull's selection is a further blow for Ollie Robinson and Craig Overton, whose roads return to the international arena are becoming more difficult by the day, while Sam Cook, the most consistent county seamer on the tour in recent years, has been ignored once again.

Sam Curran also came up as a potential replacer. The all-rounder is back to red-ball cricket with Surrey in the most recent round of fixtures, but his mild speed may have been the decisive factor given England's declared goal of assembling an assault to claim the Ashes win in Australia.