England have been handed an injury blow days out of the first Test of their series in New Zealand with Jordan Cox ruled out of the tour after sustaining a fractured thumb in training.
Cox, uncapped at Test level, was set to take the gloves for the series in the place of Jamie Smith who misses the series on paternity leave.
The 24-year-old Essex wicketkeeper-batter picked up the injury batting in the nets before the second day's play of England's eventful warm-up fixture in Queenstown. Ollie Pope kept wicket in Cox's stead on day two of the warm-up match.
Pope, who has previously donned the gloves in three Test matches, is likely to keep wicket in the series opener in Christchurch. Though Cox has been officially ruled out of the series, England are yet to call up a replacement.
According to a report in the Telegraph, Durham's Ollie Robinson is expected to be flown into New Zealand as cover but given the considerable travel time from the UK, it is unlikely that he will be in contention for the first Test.
Robinson enjoyed an excellent season in Division One of the County Championship, though his returns dwindled in the back half of the season. Since joining Durham on a permanent basis ahead of the 2023 summer, Robinson averages 53 with the bat in the County Championship.
Should Robinson win a first Test call-up, it will be yet another sign that this England regime have moved on from Jonny Bairstow and Ben Foakes. Both featured in England's series away to India earlier in 2024 but haven't been involved in the Test arena since.
While Foakes is widely regarded as one of the best glovemen on the planet, he struggled with the bat in India, averaging 20.50. His sluggish strike rate of 39.34 added to the perception that he is ill-suited to batting at his regular position for England – No. 7 – where his remit was often to move the game along with the tail-enders below him in the order.
Bairstow, meanwhile, is still centrally contracted but hasn't played for England in any format since this year's T20 World Cup. The 35-year-old failed to pass 40 in any of his 10 innings on his tour of India earlier in 2024.
If Pope takes the gloves in Christchurch, it is likely to leave room for Jacob Bethell to make his Test debut. Bethell was a surprise inclusion in the initial Test squad. The Warwickshire youngster is yet to register a professional hundred across any format but is widely regarded as one of the most exciting talents in the country.
Bethell has made an immediate impact in both white-ball formats for England after making his international debut in September. The 21-year-old is also expected to pick up his first IPL contract at the 2025 auction taking place this Sunday and Monday (today).
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