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The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced on Tuesday that fast bowler Olly Stone will take Mark Wood’s place in the England squad for the second Test against Sri Lanka at Lord’s. Wood, who sustained a thigh injury during the first Test, has been ruled out for the remainder of the series.
The 30-year-old Olly Stone, who has featured in three Tests throughout his injury-hit career, will be playing his first Test match since June 2021. Stone has stated that he aims to fulfill the role previously held by Mark Wood by delivering exceptionally fast bowling for England.
“It’s been pretty frightening… the way he’s (Wood) come in and bowled this summer is very exciting,” Stone said on Tuesday. “Hopefully, I can go out there and try to touch his speeds. He’s obviously up there with the fastest in the world so I’m not sure if I’ll match it – but I’ll give it a good shot.”
Stone, who underwent back surgery in 2021, expresses gratitude for the procedure and its positive impact on his career.
“It’s the best thing I ever went in for. Thankfully – touch wood – so far, I’ve had no recurrences with that… I’ll keep coming back for Test cricket until my body tells me otherwise,” he said.
“I just love the feeling of coming off after a long four or five days, on the back of a hard-fought win. It’s more than just skill at times: it’s your character, and the way you are out there as a team for those four or five days. It’s something that white-ball cricket can’t give you. I just love the slog of that hard graft, going out there and providing your team with something different to help you try to win the game.
“I’ve always said that one of the reasons I went down certain surgical routes to have my back sorted was so that I could go out and play Test cricket again. It’s never been in my mind to give that up. If my body then gave up on me, maybe I’d have to step away. But thankfully, so far, I’ve found a way and I can be back out there in an England shirt,” he added.
England is ahead in the three-match series following their five-wicket victory at Old Trafford. The second Test will commence on Thursday.
England XI: Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope (captain), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Matthew Potts, Olly Stone, Shoaib Bashir.
