England seamer Mark Wood has been replaced by Leicestershire’s Josh Hull for the Second Test against Sri Lanka after suffering a muscle strain.
Wood limped off late on day three of the First Test after another exciting performance at Old Trafford, and results of a subsequent scan have seen him ruled out of the rest of the series – with left-armer Hull drafted in to replace him.
It comes after a scintillating summer for Wood with England which has seen him take 11 wickets in three Tests – as well as providing some exciting flashes with the bat.
At 34, Wood is in the best form of his career on the international stage, but his career has been riddled with injuries and the Durham star – who had earlier taken Dimuth Karunaratne’s wicket with his very first delivery – hobbled off late on day three and will take no further part in the series.
An ECB statement said: “England Men’s pace bowler Mark Wood has been ruled out of the remainder of the Rothesay Test series against Sri Lanka after scans confirmed a right thigh muscle strain.
Wood sustained the injury on the third day of England’s five-wicket victory in the first Test at Emirates Old Trafford, which prevented him from bowling on the final day.
Leicestershire’s 20-year-old left-arm seamer Josh Hull has received his first senior call-up to replace Wood in the squad for the remaining two Tests at Lord’s, starting on Thursday, and at the Kia Oval on Friday, 6 September.
The England squad will assemble in London on Monday night ahead of the second Test at Lord’s.”
Who is Josh Hull?
The first thing to notice about Hull is his sheer height, At 6ft 7ins tall, the youngster adds a towering presence to any bowling attack. The height also affords him more variety than other bowlers in terms of pace and bounce, and that should be exciting to monitor if, and when, he makes his Test debut.
As a left-arm fast-medium bowler, he’s able to clock speeds of around 85mph but importantly, despite his age, Hull is intelligent enough to know when to switch it up, as demonstrated multiple times during his debut season with Leicestershire last season.
After graduating from the club’s Academy system into the team as an 18-year-old in 2022, he took centre stage for the Foxes in the 2023 campaign. After being thrown in for the season opener at Headingley, Hull took 32 wickets across the campaign – and also showed he can hold his nerve on the big occasion, as he led Leicestershire to victory in the Metro Bank One Day Cup final in September with a standout display.
What was also notable was his skill with the new ball and his ability to come in for a spell and break up burgeoning partnerships.
Earlier this month, he made his debut for the England Lions against the Sri Lanka tourists, taking five for 74 in the Lions’ seven-wicket victory.
Although it may be Olly Stone who takes Wood’s place in the England XI, Hull will gain valuable experience with the senior red ball squad. Having a talented left-armer could provide a key point of difference for England, as they seek to find some variety to the attack in the post-James Anderson era.
