Injury doubt for Cox after blow to the right arm during practice puts his participation in the first test under jeopardy.
Injury doubt in the England camp as Jordan Cox cops a blow to his right arm in practice.
The incident happened Sunday morning at Queenstown’s nets. England has been getting ready for the first Test match, which starts at the Hagley Oval on Thursday. Cox was rushed to a nearby hospital for scans to assess the degree of the damage. Cox was ready to make his Test debut with regular keeper Jamie Smith on paternity leave for the tour.
Jordan Cox previously suffered a terrible fractured finger during the Hundred in 2023. This also affected the digits on his right hand. He may not wear the gloves for Essex this summer, which would be his debut after moving from Kent. This due to the severity of the injury. For the first time since July 2023, Cox wore the gloves for the red-ball team during his Saturday session behind the stumps.
Ben Stokes took the pitch after opting not to play on the first day. Ollie Pope filled in for Cox. Although three players chose to leave the game for extra time in the nets, it was James Anderson, dressed in whites and four months after his forced retirement, who attracted the most attention.
With Jacob Bethell and Rehan Ahmed scheduled to arrive in Christchurch on Monday after playing in the Caribbean white-ball tour that concluded last week, England is not currently operating with a full deck in New Zealand.
England is unlikely to put Pope under further pressure on top of his responsibilities at No. 3. Reinforcements are inevitable if Cox is completely ruled out of the tour. As dynamic middle-order batsmen, Phil Salt and Durham’s Ollie Robinson may be eligible for their first Test appearances. With one year left on his central deal, Jonny Bairstow might also be an outsider. It is unlikely that he will be called up at this time, though, as he hasn’t played for the Test team since receiving his 100th cap at the conclusion of the India tour at the beginning of the year.