England's Josh Hull ruled out of Pakistan tour due to quad injury
England left-arm tearaway quick Josh Hull has been ruled out of the upcoming red-ball series against Pakistan because of a quad injury. The pacer had recently made his Test debut during the home series against Sri Lanka, and was close to featuring in the white-ball squad against Australia as well.
The quad injury, which he reportedly sustained on his Test debut at The Oval, was not deemed to be serious, impacting only the Australia series. However, the injury has now ruled him out of the entire three-match series against Pakistan.
Hull came into the England setup on the back of his left-arm bowling ability coupled with his tall frame. He had his moments with the ball on his debut, finishing with three wickets as England ended their red-ball home summer on a losing note.
The left-arm pacer is still considered quite raw, having only played 11 first-class matches after making his debut for Leicestershire in 2023.
England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) released an official statement confirming Hull's absence from the upcoming subcontinent tour.
"Get well soon, Josh. Josh Hull has been ruled out of our Test tour of Pakistan due to a quad injury," ECB posted on Twitter.
The youngster was arguably a surprise inclusion in the Test squad, taking the conditions in Pakistan into account. The Ben Stokes-led side had opted for a seam-heavy attack with three frontline spinners, which did not include Tom Hartley.
England's pace attack boasts depth despite Hull's injury
The new-age pace trio of Chris Woakes, Mark Wood, and Gus Atkinson worked perfectly for England in the home season following James Anderson's retirement. With Mark Wood being ruled out for the rest of the year, England need a new name to complete the trio.
It is unclear for now if Ben Stokes will play as an all-rounder after returning from injury, and Woakes' overseas numbers have also been dodgy in the past. While Hull's injury adds to all the woes, England have additional options to complete the pace attack in the form of Brydon Carse, Olly Stone, and Matthew Potts in the touring party.