[bet365]

England batsman Ollie Pope was forced to leave the field during the fourth day’s play of the third Test against Pakistan with a left shoulder injury, hurt when sliding to stop a ball in the outfield.

The incident occurred just eight balls into Pakistan’s second innings, with Pope successfully chasing down a ball steered down to third man off Stuart Broad. He got up holding his shoulder gingerly before running off the field. The ECB later confirmed that he won’t return to the field in the immediate future, and will be assessed at lunch.

The location of the injury will be of particular concern to Pope and England, with the 22-year-old missing a large chunk of the 2019 summer after dislocating the same shoulder. That injury, also sustained in the field, necessitated surgery, with Pope missing four months of the season, putting to bed his chances of an Ashes call-up.

He later called that misfortune “a blessing in disguise” and this incident has already had the happy result of the sight of Paul Collingwood in England whites once more.