Ashes 2023 | Jack Leach ruled out of series due to back stress fracture
England will miss Jack Leach for the Test series against Australia as he the scans after the Ireland series revealed that he had suffered a lumbar stress fracture. Leach was one of the 16 players announced for the first two Test of the series but his replacement will be now named in due course.
The Ashes is set to start on June 16 and the list of concerns has been extended for the English side as they shave suffered a blow ahead of the series. The team’s lead spinner, Jack Leach has been ruled out of the series as scans after the recently concluded Ireland series revealed that he had suffered a lumbar stress fracture. Leach developed low back symptoms during the Ireland Test according to the official statement released by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).
“England Men's spinner Jack Leach has been ruled of the LV= Insurance Men’s Ashes series with a low back (lumbar) stress fracture. The 31-year-old Somerset slow-left-armer developed low back symptoms during England’s LV= Insurance Test victory over Ireland on Saturday. A scan on Sunday in London has revealed a stress fracture, which will keep him out of the forthcoming Ashes Test series, which gets underway at Edgbaston on Friday 16 June. England will announce a replacement for the Ashes series in due course,” the official statement read.
While captaining the side, Ben Stokes has backed Leach as the spinner played 13 Tests taking 45 wickets with an average of 38.22. Now, with Leach out of the side, there are multiple candidates like Rehan Ahmed, Will Jacks, Liam Livingstone, Dom Bess, and Liam Dawson to fill his spot
England have already lost the services of Jofra Archer already due to injury concerns and the absence of Leach might weaken their bowling to a certain extent.