England have received a blow in their preparations a few days before the start of the two-match Test series against New Zealand as the wicket-keeper batsman Ben Foakes has suffered a tear in his hamstring on Wednesday. The Gloucestershire wicket-keeper batsman James Bracey is set to debut at the Lord's after he received a maiden call-up into the England Test side.
Foakes, who impressed one and all with his glovework in the Test series against India, was involved in a bizarre dressing room accident as he slipped in his socks while walking in the Surrey dressing room after his side's drawn game against Middlesex on Sunday.
While his county's medical team will assess him for the next few weeks, England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said that he is likely to be out of action for almost three months, which all but rules him out of the five-match Test series against India starting August 4.
While in Foakes' absence Bracey is set to take the gloves in the opening Test match, the England coach Chris Silverwood has added the wicket-keeper batsman Sam Billings to the squad. Even though he was also part of the IPL for the Delhi Capitals, he didn't play a single match after he suffered a collar bone injury in the first ODI against India. However, after returning from India, Billings returned to captain his county side Kent last week.
Along with Billings, the out-of-favour batsman Haseeb Hameed, who has played three Tests for England has also been recalled to the side after his impressive returns in the County season playing for Nottinghamshire amassing 474 runs at an average of 52.66.
While all the other IPL players for England have been rested looking at a long Test season ahead.
