Side strain is a pain as England ace ruled out of Trophy tilt
WARWICKSHIRE star Chris Woakes will miss the rest of England’s Champions Trophy because of a side strain.
Woakes, who managed just two overs at the start of the hosts’ opening eight-wicket win over Bangladesh at The Oval on Thursday, was sent for scans at close of play.
The England and Wales Cricket Board, which will apply for an injury replacement, confirmed yesterday morning that the key seamer will play no further part in the two-and-a-half week tournament.
A brief statement from the ECB read: “A scan has confirmed that Chris Woakes sus- tained a left side strain in yesterday’s ICC Champions Trophy match against Bangladesh.
“The injury means Woakes will miss the rest of England’s participation in the Champions Trophy.
“A n update on a r e pl a c e ment for the seamer for the remainder of the tournament will follow in due course.”
Potential replacements for the 28-year-old Warwickshire player are led by Middlesex and England Lions pair Steven Finn and Toby Roland-Jones, both of whom featured in Monday’s Royal London Series defeat against South Africa on their hom e ground at Lord’s – where England rested Woakes as he recovered from a thigh niggle. That was in his right leg, and his subsequent side strain is on the other side of his body.
Captain Eoin Morgan made clear after England’s emphatic win over Bangladesh that there had been no indication beforehand of the injury Woakes suffered at The Oval.
“There was absolutely nothing,” he said.
“He was chomping at the bit to play. If we rushed him, he might have played the last game of the one-day series (against South Africa), but we didn’t want to rush him.”
Other possible replacements include uncapped Surrey and England Lions seamer Tom Curran or even a recall for Test regular Stuart Broad – who has 121 ODI caps but only two since the last World Cup in 2015.
The injury means Woakes will miss the rest of England’s participation in the Champions Trophy.