Olly Stone ruled out of selection for Zimbabwe, India Tests after knee surgery

Olly Stone, a fast bowler for England, will not play in the forthcoming Test matches against India and Zimbabwe this summer due to surgery on his right knee. The 31-year-old pacer will now go through a 14-week rehabilitation regimen after growing increasingly uncomfortable during Nottinghamshire’s preseason tour of Abu Dhabi last month.

Stone will miss six Test matches, starting with Zimbabwe’s one-off Test at Trent Bridge on May 22, after the scans revealed that surgery was required. Additionally, he will miss the June 20 opening of the five-match series against India. Stone plans to play for London Spirit in The Hundred, where he hopes to make a comeback despite this setback.

Olly Stone career has been marred by a number of regrettable fitness problems, which this injury adds to.

He played his first Test match at Lord’s against Ireland in 2019, however he sustained back stress fractures the next three summers. He only played in two Test matches in 2021 against India and New Zealand due to these injuries. After missing three years, the right-arm bowler eventually made his Test debut for England last summer, but his progress was hampered by another injury.

He recently returned home from Pakistan for his wedding, which caused him to miss the England Test team for personal reasons. He took seven wickets in two Test matches against Sri Lanka during the 2023 domestic season, however he was left out of the Test tours to Pakistan and New Zealand.

England’s fast-bowling team, which is already having fitness issues, is further weakened by Stone’s injury. Brydon Carse has a chronic toe problem, while Mark Wood has been sidelined for four months after knee surgery. Ben Stokes, the captain of England, is also recuperating from hamstring surgery and is making every effort to be fit for the Zimbabwe Test.

In spite of these defeats, England will need to carefully manage their resources in order to maintain a competitive pace attack for the Ashes and other important Test series that are coming up this year.