Due to a quad injury, Josh Hull, a left-arm seamer from Leicestershire, will not be playing for England in their Test match against Pakistan. The 20-year-old Hull felt the ache during his debut against Sri Lanka in the last summer Test at the Kia Oval. At the time, the ECB removed him from the limited-overs series against Australia because they believed he needed more time to heal.
Nevertheless, Hull was removed from the three-test series on Thursday due to the ongoing problem. Instead of drafting in a replacement, England will depart for Pakistan on October 1 with a 16-man team in preparation for the first Test match, which will start on October 7 in Multan.
Hull was initially chosen for the tour to accelerate his growth into an attacking differentiator for England. With his ability to put the ball into right-handers and his 6ft 7in left-arm angle, he offered distinctive skill sets to the selectors as they looked ahead to the Ashes next winter.
Following Mark Wood’s injury in the opening Test at Emirates Old Trafford, Hull was recruited into the squad after claiming five wickets in a tour match against Sri Lanka. Head coach Brendon McCullum and bowling consultant James Anderson were impressed by a solid showing during training, which resulted in an unexpected debut at The Oval.
While he took 3 for 53 in the first innings and had glimpses of potential, he could not claim any wickets in the second innings as Sri Lanka chased down 219 to hand England their only Test loss of the summer in a season where he had only taken two wickets at a high average of 182.50 in three Division Two games for Leicestershire, the match marked Hull’s eleventh first-class encounter of the year.
It is not certain if Hull will be included in the tour to New Zealand or if he will have added to his cap in Pakistan. The ECB will manage his recuperation.
