Tom Hartley Excluded from England Lions' Australian Tour Following Right Hand Injury
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New Delhi, Jan 10 (NationPress) Left-arm spinner Tom Hartley has been excluded from the England Lions tour of Australia after he incurred a fractured right hand during a practice session in Brisbane, as stated by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).
It was further disclosed that Hartley will head back to the UK following the injury sustained on Thursday. Upon his return, he will undergo a comprehensive evaluation by the medical teams of his domestic club, Lancashire. The ECB also mentioned that there will be no substitute player added to the squad in Australia.
Hartley gained significant attention during England's Test tour of India in 2024, where his impressive figures of 7-62 in the second innings were pivotal in England's historic victory at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.
Despite India rebounding to win the series 4-1, Hartley stood out as England's top wicket-taker, claiming 22 wickets across five matches with an average of 36.13. However, he has not featured in any Test matches for England since then, as the team has opted for off-spinner Shoaib Bashir.
He was later included in England’s squad for the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup, but did not play as the team suffered a semi-final defeat to the eventual champions, India, at Providence Stadium in Guyana.
The fracture to his right hand, which has cut his tour of Australia short, is a significant setback for Hartley’s aspirations of a Test recall, especially with the Ben Stokes-led side scheduled to tour Australia in October for the crucial 2025/26 Ashes, where Bashir is also part of the England Lions team.
The England Lions tour of Australia, featuring former captain Andrew Flintoff as their head coach, is set to commence on January 14, starting with a four-day match against a Cricket Australia Select XI in Brisbane. The visitors will also participate in three red-ball matches, including an unofficial Test against Australia A in Sydney from January 30 to February 2.
