Josh Tongue has been ruled out of England’s upcoming white-ball tour of Australia due to a left big toe injury.
The 28-year-old fast bowler will return home to undergo further assessment for the injury, the England and Wales Cricket Board said on Saturday.
Tongue has taken 46 wickets in 17 matches across all formats this year but will now miss England’s tour which begins next Friday in Perth.
England are yet to announce a replacement for Tongue but it means there will be bigger roles for Sussex seam bowler Henry Crocombe and Hampshire’s Sonny Baker.
Tongue was a part of the England Test squad who suffered a 4-1 defeat in the Ashes series last year but he took 18 wickets across three matches.
After Friday’s match in Perth the teams will then face off in Adelaide and Hobart, with Brendon McCullum’s side looking to bounce back from a disappointing ODI tri-series with Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
England will then play their first T20 international at Melbourne Cricket Ground since the 2022 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup final where they secured victory against Pakistan.
That match will open the T20 series before games in Gold Coast, Brisbane, Sydney and Canberra.