England seamer Josh Tongue could miss a significant portion of the home summer after suffering a setback with a pectoral injury.
England's seamer Josh Tongue may be out of action for a substantial portion of the upcoming home summer due to a setback in his recovery from a pectoral injury. The 26-year-old, who made his Test debut last year, has been sidelined since August and missed England's recent tours of the Caribbean and India. There is no clear timeline for his return to action, and this news is a setback for England's plans following the retirement of James Anderson.
England's renowned cricketer, who has become the country's highest wicket-taker, is set to retire after the first Test against West Indies at Lord’s on 10th July. His departure will open up opportunities for up-and-coming fast bowlers like Tongue, who has shown promise since making his England debut last year. Tongue's potential for growth and his performance in the two matches he has played so far indicate that he could benefit from the void left by Anderson's departure.
Over the winter, he switched from playing for Worcestershire to joining Nottinghamshire, but has not yet had the chance to play for his new county team. It is likely that other contracted fast bowlers such as Chris Woakes, Mark Wood, Matthew Potts, Gus Atkinson, and possibly Ollie Robinson will also be part of England's pace attack after James Anderson. England's managing director, Rob Key, mentioned on the Test Match Special County Cricket podcast that Tongue's new teammates at Nottinghamshire, Dillon Pennington and Olly Stone, as well as Sam Cook from Essex, are also potential candidates for England's pace attack.