England seamer Reece Topley has been ruled out of the Twenty20 World Cup in Australia due to ligament damage to his left ankle.
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Reece Topley will be replaced by left-arm fast bowler Tymal Mills, who was travelling with the squad as a reserve player.
Topley sustained the injury during a fielding drill ahead of England’s warm-up game against Pakistan in Brisbane on Monday.
“Results of the scan on Tuesday in Perth revealed the injury,” the ECB said in a statement, adding that Lancashire’s Luke Wood has been added as a travelling reserve.
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Reece Topley has been impressive with the ball in hand in the last few months and this would be a huge blow to England’s chances in this tournament. The 28-year-old was only set to miss the tournament opener against Afghanistan on Saturday, October 22.
However, the extent of the injury was more serious than expected which eventually ruled him out of the showpiece event. This will be a big blow for the England team as he was their go-to bowler in the death overs.
Another key reason for Tymal Mills’ selection into the English squad could be due to the fact that he is well aware of the Australian conditions having played the Big Bash League (BBL) for a few years now. The 30-year-old has represented the teams like the Brisbane Heat, Hobart Hurricanes, Perth Scorchers, etc.
Mills has the ability to vary his pace, he has a lethal slower ball which can prove to be very effective in Australian conditions. Mills will play a crucial role in the death overs for England.
England opens their campaign against Afghanistan in Perth on Saturday.
England Squad for the T20 World Cup: Jos Buttler (c), Moeen Ali, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Ben Stokes, Tymal Mills, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood, Alex Hales.
Standby Players: Liam Dawson, Richard Gleeson
