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Due to an injury he suffered at the England Lions’
current training camp in the United Arab Emirates, Josh Tongue will not be
participating in his country’s white-ball tour to the Caribbean next month.
He will be replaced by Matthew Potts for the
three-match ODI series that starts in Antigua on December 3. However, no
replacement has been announced for the five T20I matches that take place from
December 12 to December 21.
The 26-year-old Tongue, who looked good in his two
Test matches at Lord’s in the 2023 home summer, is devastated by the injury. He
had been hoping for a white-ball debut in both formats as England looks to turn
things around following their disastrous World Cup campaign in India.
Tongue’s worth to the England team was underscored
last month when he was awarded a lucrative two-year contract as the ECB central
player, demonstrating his ability to produce uncomfortable bounce at speeds
approaching ninety miles per hour.
Having so far played just 15 List A and T20 domestic
fixtures, Tongue had made a point of putting his first-class experience to use
on this Caribbean tour. Of those appearances, 47 had been for his old county,
Worcestershire.
Potts’ late call-up is an opportunity to build on his
limited experience playing white-ball for England. He was picked for two ODI
games against Ireland before the World Cup, one of which washed out, and a
one-time ODI debut against South Africa in 2022.
Similar to Tongue, Potts received a two-year deal with
the ECB for 2023–2024 after making an impression with his work ethic during his
first Test summer in 2022. Before making one more one-off appearance against
Ireland at Lord’s this June, he claimed 20 wickets at 28.00 in five appearances
that year.