Lungi Ngidi ruled out of Boxing Day Test against England after tearing hamstring

South African pacer Lungi Ngidi has been all but ruled out of the Proteas' Boxing Day Test against England after tearing his hamstring on Friday.

Ngidi picked up the injury during a practice session with the Tshwane Spartans. He has been ruled out of the Mzansi Super League final as well, and will only be able to return to action in January.

Cricket South Africa's chief medical officer, Shuaib Manjra revealed that scans on Ngidi's hamstring showed a Grade 1 tear which will take at least a month to fully heal.

"Lungi Ngidi sustained an acute hamstring muscle injury during the warm-up prior to the MSL T20 play-off on Friday. Scans done on Saturday showed a significant Grade 1 tear of his hamstring muscle and therefore he has been ruled out of the MSL T20 final.

"He will commence his rehab and return to play program with the aim of getting him fit to play for the Titans in January 2020 and based on his progress, a decision will be made regarding his availability for selection for the Proteas team."

Ngidi has shown plenty of promise in his still nascent international career, but persistent injuries have stalled his progress in the last few months.

Also see – BBL Most Runs 2019s

Issues with his abdomen forced him to miss South Africa's series against Sri Lanka, while a side strain meant he could play no part in the IPL. He also missed a handful of World Cup games after picking up a hamstring injury in a match against Bangladesh.

His last Test appearance came during South Africa's tour of India, where he put in an underwhelming display in the final game of the three-match series.