Due to left ankle ligament injuries, England speed bowler Reece Topley will not compete in the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia. The pacer will be replaced by Tymal Mills, one of the travelling reserves. Luke Wood, a left-arm seamer for Lancashire, will join the lineup as a travelling reserve.
Ben Stokes, all-rounder for England, has criticised the “stupid” size of boundary marking sponges used in stadiums after seamer Reece Topley was forced to withdraw from the Twenty20 World Cup after stepping on one during a fielding exercise and suffering a leg injury.
Topley “rolled his ankle” while participating in fielding practise prior to England’s exhibition match against Pakistan in Brisbane. He afterwards had scans done, which showed the injuries. The fast bowler, who has previously struggled with several injuries, has been among England’s best bowlers in the shorter formats this year, taking 16 wickets at an average of 28 and an economy rate of 7.8 in T20 Internationals.
“It’s stupid. Unfortunately, it’s taken one of our players to be ruled out … to make people notice,” Stokes said. “I’m pretty sure it’s something they can look at but you know what it’s like – everybody wants to get their names on somewhere. (Reuters).
“But you look at player safety and the fact he’s stood on it and it’s ruptured ligaments and now he’s out of the World Cup – it should be looked at. I’m devastated for him.
“We’re all just absolutely gutted for him that he’s missed out … because he would have been one of the first names on the team sheet.”
