Mark Wood out of last two Tests against Sri Lanka

ENGLAND fast bowler Mark Wood has been ruled out of the remaining Tests in the series against Sri Lanka after scans confirmed he sustained a right thigh muscle strain, the team management announced on Sunday.

Wood, who has faced multiple fitness challenges throughout his career, suffered the injury during England's five-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the first Test at Old Trafford on Friday. The 34-year-old bowler left the field just two balls into his 11th over and did not play on Saturday, as England secured a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Leicestershire’s 20-year-old left-arm paceman Josh Hull has been called up to replace Wood in the squad for the upcoming Tests at Lord’s, starting on Thursday, and at The Oval, beginning September 6. Hull, who stands at 6ft 7in (2 m), has been a significant part of Leicestershire's bowling attack and played a key role in their 2023 One-Day Cup final victory.

England also have Olly Stone, another fast bowler, in their squad, who may now be set to play his first Test in three years.

Hull, who turned 20 earlier this week, has played just nine first-class matches, taking 15 wickets at an average of 58.06. However, under coach Brendon McCullum, England has shown a preference for selecting players based on potential and specific skill sets rather than statistics alone.

Earlier this month, Hull made his debut for the England Lions, taking 5-74 in a seven-wicket win over Sri Lanka.

Reflecting on his unexpected call-up, Hull told BBC Radio Leicester: "It was about half nine (2030 GMT) last (Saturday) night when I got the call from Brendon McCullum. It's a very special moment. It’s come around pretty quickly, I didn't think it would happen this fast, but I am really excited to be joining them."

He added, "I was happy with how I performed (for the England Lions) but I never thought it would lead to a call this early. They’ve got Olly Stone there as the first replacement, so it will be a great opportunity to join up and be part of that environment."

England is in the process of rejuvenating their pace attack following the retirements of Stuart Broad and James Anderson, with Gus Atkinson making a promising start to his Test career. The team has also had to adjust after regular captain Ben Stokes was ruled out of the Sri Lanka series due to a torn hamstring, leading to Ollie Pope being appointed as the stand-in skipper.

(With inputs from AFP)