Pace ranks thinner

Cricket: England pace bowler Saqib Mahmood has been ruled out of the northern summer with a stress fracture of the back, reducing the options for incoming coach Brendon McCullum. However, McCullum and new captain Ben Stokes were already expected to recall 39-year-old James Anderson and 35-year-old Stuart Broad to mitigate Mahmood’s absence. Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes and Matt Fisher are already injured. In addition, Ollie Robinson has only been bowling sporadically for Sussex, clocking 59 overs across the season.