England left-arm pacer Reece Topley is facing another injury setback, as he has been officially ruled out of the rest of the T20I series against the West Indies. Topley injured his knee during his run-up in the series opener in Barbados and was forced to leave the field mid-over.
He was replaced by Jofra Archer for the second T20I, and his availability for the remainder of the series had been in doubt. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) later confirmed his absence for the rest of the series through an official statement.
“We’re all with you, Toppers. Reece Topley has been ruled out of the remainder of the T20I series against West Indies through injury, and is to fly home from St Lucia,” the statement read.
Jos Buttler and his team have already secured an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series, with Saqib Mahmood playing a key role in the third game in St. Lucia.
The full extent of Topley’s injury has not been revealed yet, and its severity will determine his availability for the India tour in early 2025 and the upcoming Champions Trophy. He has some time to recover, having not been picked in the Big Bash League (BBL) draft for the 2024-25 season.
Reece Topley’s injury history is nothing short of unfortunate. The left-arm pacer was ruled out of the 2022 T20 World Cup after twisting his ankle while slipping on a Toblerone boundary sponge.
In the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL), he dislocated his shoulder during Royal Challengers Bangalore’s (RCB) opening match. Additionally, his 2023 ODI World Cup was also ended prematurely due to a finger injury sustained in Mumbai against South Africa.
Reece Topley was fined 15% of his match fee for breaking a chair after his injury
The England pacer was visibly frustrated by his latest injury and expressed his anger by smashing a chair against the staircase handrail on his way to the dressing room. This outburst resulted in a 15 percent fine and a demerit point from the International Cricket Council (ICC).
He had shown a similar reaction to an injury during the 2023 ODI World Cup, though he wasn’t reprimanded then. The fourth T20I between England and the West Indies is set for Saturday, November 16, in St. Lucia.
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