Reece Topley: England & Hampshire seamer to play white-ball cricket only in 2018

Reece Topley's last game for England was a T20 international against India in March 2016

England and Hampshire seamer Reece Topley will play white-ball cricket only in 2018 following two seasons of injury problems.

The club and Topley consulted with the England and Wales Cricket Board who advised the left-armer to manage his workload as part of his rehabilitation.

The 24-year-old has not played since July 2017 after suffering a recurrence of a stress fracture in his back.

"It has been a frustrating time for me as a young bowler," Topley said.

"It is hoped that this proposal will assist me by preventing further injury as my body matures.

"Going forward, I do hope to return to red-ball cricket and still harbour ambitions of being the first left-arm fast bowler to take 100 Test wickets for England but that remains a long-term goal."

Topley, who also missed most of the 2016 campaign with hand and back injuries, has only played three first-class matches in two seasons for Hampshire since joining from Essex.

Fellow England players Adil Rashid and Alex Hales have also announced over the past fortnight they will not be playing in the County Championship this season.