Nevertheless, their current ambitions have experienced a significant setback. The 26-year-old fast bowler Josh Tongue, who was anticipated to be the front-runner for the position and whom England had planned to give plenty of game practise ahead of the Ashes 2025 Down Under, has been sidelined because of the deterioration of a pectoral injury he sustained the previous year.
As the first Test of the upcoming three-match series against the West Indies takes place in July, marking the end of James Anderson’s illustrious 21-year Test career, England is preparing for the challenge of finding and developing successors to fill the void left by the veteran bowler, who has been the cornerstone of the red-ball bowling attack.
After making his final Test match in July 2023 against Australia, Tongue’s injuries kept him out of the India series this year and the West Indies, New Zealand, and Ireland limited-overs matches the following year.
The England & Wales Cricket Board said in a statement that Tongue’s recovery from the first injury was set back and that they could not foresee how long he would need to recover.
“Josh Tongue initial injury has caused a setback. The England & Wales Cricket Board released a statement saying, “There is no timeline for when he will return to action.
Tongue showed off his skills in his first Test match against Ireland, taking five wickets in the second innings. This performance secured him a spot in the second Test match for the Ashes against Australia. Test captain Ben Stokes praised his ability to bowl full consistently with the new ball and turn to an aggressive manner with the old and soft ball.
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With the retirement of Stuart Broad last year, England needs to find a new bowling combination with the new cherry. Nonetheless, they have young players like Matthew Potts and Gus Atkinson in addition to the seasoned team of Ollie Robinson and Mark Wood, who together have a large amount of Test caps.
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