Stone hoped to feature in England’s Ashes squad this summer but has been limited to a single appearance since May 4 due to a hamstring injury, suffered while playing for Nottinghamshire in the County Championship.
He made a comeback in the T20 Blast on June 30, during the second Ashes Test at Lord’s, with the intention of playing some part in the fourth or fifth Tests. But he lasted only three balls before walking off the field midway through an over, and has not played since.
Stone’s injury is not thought to be as serious as the one that ended up ruling him out of the Ashes, but it remains to be seen whether he will be fit for England’s white-ball series against New Zealand, which starts on August 30. Instead, he may target the three-match ODI series against Ireland from September 20 for a potential return.
He has only played eight ODIs and one T20I, but as an out-and-out fast bowler who can regularly reach speeds in excess of 90mph/145kph, Stone is seen as an important part of England’s white-ball plans – particularly in the context of a gruelling World Cup schedule.
Neesham is expected to play for Oval Invincibles as a short-term replacement for Heinrich Klaasen when he is playing for South Africa against Australia, while Sodhi is likely to replace Rashid Khan at Trent Rockets during Afghanistan’s fixtures against Pakistan. Santner is expected to join Southern Brave on a short-term basis.
Their deals will be confirmed later this week by the ECB. The involvement of five New Zealand men’s players – Finn Allen, Devon Conway (both Southern Brave), Adam Milne (Birmingham Phoenix), Daryl Mitchell (London Spirit) and Glenn Phillips (Welsh Fire) – has already been announced publicly.
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