England's Tour of Pakistan Hit by Josh Hull's Injury as Pace Concerns Mount | England Cricket

 

England’s upcoming tour of Pakistan has taken a hit with the withdrawal of pace bowler Josh Hull due to a quad injury.

The 20-year-old left-arm seamer, who made his Test debut earlier this month against Sri Lanka, has been ruled out after featuring in just 10 first-class matches. Hull managed to claim three wickets during the third Test at The Oval, where England suffered a defeat. He was already excluded from the limited-overs series against Australia prior to this latest setback.

Despite his absence, England has decided against calling up a replacement.

Hull was among six specialist fast bowlers selected in England’s 17-man squad, but now joins the injured list alongside Mark Wood, Josh Tongue, and Dillon Pennington. Meanwhile, Jamie Overton and Jofra Archer are currently available only for white-ball formats.

The situation is further complicated by concerns over the fitness of captain Ben Stokes. The 33-year-old has been out since August with a hamstring injury, and his ability to bowl in the early part of the tour remains uncertain.

Although England released a statement on Wednesday suggesting Stokes is "on track" to participate in the series, the all-rounder himself expressed uncertainty during a recent interview with Sky Sports, raising doubts about whether he’ll be ready to bowl in the first Test.

Adding to England's fast-bowling concerns is the availability of Olly Stone, who will leave Pakistan between the first and second Tests for his wedding

The team departs for Pakistan on Tuesday, with the first Test set to begin in Multan on 7 October.