England pacer Reece Topley has been ruled out of the T20 World Cup due to an ankle injury, inflicting a significant setback to the team’s campaign, which gets underway here on Saturday. Topley will be replaced by left-arm pacer Tymal Mills, who hasn’t played since suffering a toe injury in August.
The speedster injured his left ankle on Monday in Brisbane during fielding practice before England’s last warm-up game against Pakistan. It is believed that the scans performed following the injury have shown considerable damage.
“England’s Tymal Mills who is already in Australia comes in for Reece Topley who has an injured left ankle,” the ICC said in a statement.
A replacement player must first receive approval from the Event Technical Committee before they can actually join the team.
Reece Topley’s performance in 2022
Topley has taken 17 wickets in 16 games for an average of 28. He is England’s top wicket-taker in T20 Internationals in 2022. He quickly established himself as a crucial member of England’s T20 bowling attack, due to his ability to ball well both with the new ball and at the end.
“Devastated,” Topley wrote on Instagram, “but wishing the boys the best of luck and backing them to put in an amazing performance at this World Cup! Thanks for all the messages, I feel so lucky to have people sending so many messages of good wishes.”
Topley’s career has been plagued by a string of injuries, of which this is merely the most recent setback. Since 2016, he has experienced four stress fractures over a period of five years.
Tymal Mills replaces Reece Topley
Replacing him Mills also has a wealth of experience playing in Australian conditions. He was part of the Brisbane Heat, Hobart Hurricanes, and Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash League.
Mills participated in four games and took seven wickets at the T20 World Cup held in the UAE the year before. But, he then went unavailable for selection due to thigh injury. Topley, incidentally, took his spot in that England squad.
However, Mills hasn’t played since August due to a toe injury. The last T20I he played for England was against India in July. In that match, he bowled 3 overs and took 1 for 35.
Prior to the competition, he has so far actively participated in every net session. He will be a key bowler for the English side especially in crucial death overs.
Liam Livingstone, a tremendous hitter who is currently recovering from an ankle injury, was another player on England’s mind. Although he had injuries from The Hundred, his performance against Pakistan in the warm-up game suggested that he had fully recovered.
On Saturday, the Jos Buttler-led England will play Afghanistan in their first game of the tournament. They are in Group 1 with the hosts and reigning champions Australia. 2021 runner-up New Zealand, Afghanistan, and two first-round qualifiers.
