England’s fast bowling plans have suffered another big blow with Saqib Mahmood ruled out for the rest of the season with a stress fracture of the back.
Mahmood made an eye-catching bow at Test level on the tour of West Indies in March, bowling with pace and purpose as he picked up four wickets on debut in Barbados and another two in Grenada.
The Lancashire quick, who had already established himself in the limited-overs set-up, would have been a certainty to make the squad to face New Zealand at Lord’s on June 2, the first game of Ben Stokes’ captaincy and Brendon McCullum’s reign as coach, but is now facing a long rehabilitation process.