England Opener Zak Crawley Ruled Out of Sri Lanka Test Series

England opener Zak Crawley has been ruled out of the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka due to a fractured finger. The 26-year-old sustained the injury to his right hand’s little finger while attempting a catch during England’s recent victory over the West Indies at Edgbaston, which secured a 3-0 series sweep.

In Crawley’s absence, Surrey’s Dan Lawrence will join Ben Duckett as the opening pair. Essex’s Jordan Cox has been called up to the Test squad for the first time. The 23-year-old Cox has had an impressive County Championship season, scoring 763 runs at an average of 69.36, including three centuries.

Cox expressed his surprise and excitement at the call-up, having previously thought his opportunities in the red-ball format were limited. Nottinghamshire fast bowler Olly Stone also returns to the squad for the first time since June 2021, replacing his uncapped teammate Dillon Pennington, who suffered a hamstring injury.

The first Test against Sri Lanka is set to begin on 21 August at Emirates Old Trafford, followed by matches at Lord’s and the Kia Oval. England will then embark on a three-Test tour of Pakistan starting on 7 October. While Crawley aims to recover in time for the Pakistan tour, Pennington is expected to be sidelined for the rest of the season.

Cox is also a contender for the reserve wicketkeeper position behind Jamie Smith for the winter tours of Pakistan and New Zealand.

England Squad: Ben Stokes (capt), Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Jordan Cox, Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Olly Stone, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.

Crawley was unable to bat in the second innings at Edgbaston, with captain Ben Stokes stepping in and hitting a record-breaking 24-ball fifty, the fastest in England’s Test history. Lawrence, who has been a reserve batter for over a year, was previously in line to replace Duckett for the second Test against the West Indies.