Josh Tongue will join up with the England squad ahead of their opening Test match against Ireland, starting on Thursday June 1; Watch every match from the men’s and women’s Ashes live on Sky Sports
Worcestershire seamer Josh Tongue has been added to the England squad ahead of their LV= Insurance Test match against Ireland.
Tongue will join up with the squad this week ahead of England’s first Test against Ireland getting underway at Lord’s on Thursday June 1.
England Men’s National Selector Luke Wright said: “We have been monitoring Josh (Tongue) for quite some time and he deserves this call-up to the Test squad. It will be a great experience for him to understand and get used to the environment under Ben (Stokes) and Brendon (McCullum).
“It is important to have players ready to respond and with a big summer of Test cricket coming up, we will need that depth to our squad. We wish Josh and the rest of the squad well for the first international of the campaign.”
We revisit the moment that Josh Tongue bowled out Steve Smith by LBW as he became the first Englishman to do so this summer.
Stuart Broad had alluded to bowling rotation for England in an interview with Sky Sports this week as the hosts take a cautious approach to their pace attack ahead of the Ashes.
Ollie Robinson received the all-clear on his ankle scan earlier in the week, however the extent of his involvement against Ireland remains to be seen. The same might be said of James Anderson after suffered a minor groin injury during Lancashire’s County Championship match against Somerset earlier in the month.
England are also notably missing Jofra Archer after he was ruled out for the entire summer as a result of a stress fracture of the elbow.
Discussing Tongue during the original squad announcement, managing director of England men’s cricket Rob Key said: “Someone like Josh is among a crop of guys who are serious bowlers coming through.”
Stuart Broad says he knows England will fancy themselves to win the Ashes this summer
Tongue has taken 162 first class wickets at an average of 26.04 in 82 innings across 47 career matches, notably producing a five-wicket haul on his Championship debut against Glamorgan in 2017.
The 25-year-old notably claimed the wicket of Steve Smith by way of LBW during the Australian batsman’s first innings for Sussex.
He took eight wickets including a first innings 5-76 while making his England Lions debut during the tour of Sri Lanka earlier this year.
Tongue on England’s radar ‘for some time’
Sky Sports News reporter James Cole…
“Rob Key was singing Tongue’s praises just last week. He got the attention of England selectors last month when he dismissed Australian batsman Steve Smith and Indian batsman Cheteshwar Pujara on the same day in the match against Sussex.
“He’s been on England’s radar for some time now, he burst onto the scene in 2017 as a 19-year-old in Worcestershire’s promotion-winning season, got his England Lions chance last winter in Sri Lanka and now he’ll get his chance with England in this warm-up game, training ahead of Ireland at Lord’s next week.
“It’s unlikely he’ll play against Ireland because England will likely go with a bowling attack of Stuart Board, Chris Woakes and Matthew Potts.
“They are without Ollie Robinson, Mark Wood and James Anderson for that game. Those three are expected to be fit for the start of the Ashes but not expected to play at Lord’s which is why Tongue has been called up as cover.
“A big opportunity for the young man.”
England Men’s Test Squad: Ben Stokes (Durham), James Anderson (Lancashire), Jonathan Bairstow (Yorkshire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Harry Brook (Yorkshire), Zak Crawley (Kent), Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire), Dan Lawrence (Essex), Jack Leach (Somerset), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Matthew Potts (Durham), Ollie Robinson (Sussex), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Josh Tongue (Worcestershire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire), Mark Wood (Durham)
Watch every match from the men’s and women’s Ashes live on Sky Sports. You can also follow videos and over-by-over text commentary across Sky Sports’ digital platforms. Live coverage of the first Test is live from June 16-20 on Sky Sports Cricket.