Liam Livingstone has emerged as England’s latest injury doubt for a busy autumn which includes the T20 World Cup after being ruled out of the rest of The Hundred because of an ankle injury.
Birmingham Phoenix announced that Livingstone, the top run scorer and most valuable player in last year’s inaugural edition, will miss their final two group games of the season plus any knockout ties.
He said on Twitter: “Gutted to have been ruled out of @thehundred… a tournament I have loved playing in! I’ll be doing everything I can to be back out there ASAP! But for now I’ll be supporting Birmingham Phoenix from the side!”
The extent of the injury is as yet unclear as Livingstone was assessed by England’s medics on Sunday, but there are just three and a half weeks until they begin a T20 series against Pakistan in Karachi.
England white-ball captain Jos Buttler has conceded he is unlikely to feature in all seven fixtures as his side ramp up preparations for the T20 World Cup which starts in less than two months’ time.
He is currently nursing a calf injury, which, like Livingstone, led to him pulling out of The Hundred.
A back spasm saw Jason Roy withdraw from Oval Invincibles’ win over London Spirit on Saturday, giving England another potential headache as they prepare to announce the squad to tour Pakistan next week.
Fast bowlers Chris Jordan and Tymal Mills have recently suffered finger and toe injuries, respectively, while fellow quicks Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, Chris Woakes and Saqib Mahmood are long-term absentees.
An escalating injury list could offer an opportunity for Will Jacks, who is leading the chase for a maiden call-up for the Pakistan series after stellar showings in the Vitality Blast and The Hundred.
There was better news earlier on Sunday for Livingstone, who was replaced in the Phoenix squad by Nottinghamshire batter Sol Budinger for the final stages of The Hundred, as the all-rounder was the first pick in the inaugural Big Bash League draft, having been snapped up by Melbourne Renegades.
Craig Flindall, Birmingham Phoenix general manager, said: “We’re disappointed to lose Liam, not just for his performances on the pitch, but also his leadership within the group.
“While Liam will be a miss, it’s an exciting opportunity for other players to show what they can do as we look to reach the final stages of the competition.”
