File image of Reece Topley© AFP
England seamer Reece Topley has been ruled out of the T20 World Cup due to an ankle injury, dealing a major blow to the team’s campaign beginning here on Saturday. Left-arm pacer Tymal Mills, who has not played since August because of a toe injury, will replace Topley. The 28-year-old left-armer rolled his left ankle during a fielding drill in Brisbane on Monday ahead of England’s final warm-up match against Pakistan. It is understood that the scans taken after the injury have revealed significant damage.
“England’s Tymal Mills who is already in Australia comes in for Reece Topley who has an injured left ankle,” the ICC said in a statement.
Any replacement, however, requires the approval of Event Technical Committee before the replacement player can be officially added to the squad.
Topley is England’s leading wicket-taker in T20 Internationals in 2022, with 17 scalps in 16 games at an average of 28. He became an integral part of England’s T20 bowling attack, operating with the new ball and at the death.
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He has had four back stress fractures in five years, most recently in 2018, which led him to consider retirement.
In last year’s T20 World Cup in the UAE, Mills played four matches and picked up seven wickets before his tournament was ended by a thigh injury.
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