England seamer Chris Woakes has been ruled out of the remainder of ICC Champions Trophy 2017 with a side strain.
The 28-year-old bowler picked up the injury during the tournament opener against Bangladesh at the Oval on Thursday (June 1) and left the field having bowled only two overs. He later had scans that revealed the extent of his injury.
The news will come as a huge blow for the hosts with the seamer becoming an integral part of their team in recent times with both ball and bat. Woakes, who enjoyed a fruitful debut season in the Indian Premier League for Kolkata Knight Riders, was rested for the final two ODIs against South Africa recently with a tight quad. The injury is now expected to take four to six weeks to heal and as a result, it remains to be seen if he is fit to face South Africa in the first Test at Lord’s on July 6.
England and Wales Cricket Board on Friday revealed that a replacement for the bowler will be named soon. The likes of Steven Finn and Toby Roland-Jones, who recently made his ODI debut, are the likely contenders to replace the 28-year-old.
