English Pacer Ruled Out of Pakistan Test Series

English left-arm pace prospect Josh Hull has been ruled out of the upcoming Test series in Pakistan due to injury. The bowler suffered a quad injury during his test debut against Sri Lanka at the Kia Oval in London.

He was taken out of the squad for the limited-overs series against Australia, but at that point, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) felt that there was enough time for him to recover for the tour to Pakistan.

Due to the issue persisting, however, a decision was made on Thursday to withdraw Hull from the three-Test series with Pakistan. England has opted not to bring in a replacement and will head to Pakistan with a 16-man squad on October 1. The first Test in Multan is scheduled to begin on October 7.

Hull was initially chosen for the tour to accelerate his growth as a unique asset in England’s bowling lineup. Standing at 6ft 7in, his left-arm line and ability to swing the ball into right-handed batsmen provided distinct advantages, which the selectors saw as valuable while planning for next winter’s Ashes series.

Following a five-wicket haul in a tour match against Sri Lanka, Josh Hull was added to the squad after Mark Wood’s injury during the first Test at Emirates Old Trafford. His impressive performance in training grabbed the attention of head coach Brendon McCullum and bowling consultant James Anderson, resulting in an unexpected debut at The Oval. Before his debut, he had taken only two wickets in the second division of the County Championship, with an average of 182.50.