England v Ireland: Worcestershire's Josh Tongue added to squad for first Test of summer
- Published
Josh Tongue has taken 11 wickets for Worcestershire in four County Championship games this season
England v Ireland (Only Test) |
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Venue: Lord's Date: 1-4 June Time: 11:00 BST |
Coverage: Live Test Match Special commentary on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, live text commentary with in-play clips on the BBC Sport website and app and daily highlights on Today at the Test on BBC Two. |
Worcestershire seamer Josh Tongue has been added to England's squad for the first Test of the summer against Ireland.
Tongue, 25, impressed as part of the England Lions squad that toured Sri Lanka in February.
He is not replacing anyone in the squad, but adds to the bowling attack after recent injury worries for James Anderson and Ollie Robinson.
The Test against Ireland starts on Thursday 1 June at Lord's.
"I'm delighted. I got a call from Brendon McCullum this morning," Tongue told BBC Hereford and Worcester.
"From where I was last season with my shoulder injury to where I am now, it is an amazing feeling and I am really chuffed."
Tongue joins fellow fast bowlers Anderson, Robinson, Stuart Broad, Matthew Potts, Mark Wood and Chris Woakes in the squad.
But Anderson and Robinson are unlikely to play, while England are also missing other fast bowlers in Olly Stone, Jofra Archer and Jamie Overton because of injury.
Tongue has been on England's radar since his breakthrough season with Worcestershire as a 19-year-old in 2017.
His 47 wickets in the County Championship season earned him a first England Lions call-up before stress fractures in his back and his foot disrupted his progress.
But he has impressed at the start of this season, taking 11 wickets in four games including the wicket of Australia's Steve Smith in their fixture against Sussex.
Ireland have called up Matthew Foster for the Test, as Conor Olphert has withdrawn from the squad following the recurrence of a knee injury.
Right-arm seamer Foster, 23, was called up for Ireland's recent tour of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka but an injury forced him to pull out.
The Ireland Test is followed by the Ashes, with the first of five Tests starting on 16 June.
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