Olly Stone has been ruled out of England's tour of the Caribbean after being diagnosed with a stress fracture in his left lower back.
Stone, the fastest bowler in the England squad which has just started its Caribbean tour, was sent for a scan after reporting the problem shortly after arriving in Barbados, having flown from Australia a few days previously.
He took a limited part in the first training session of the tour, but was not considered for selection for the first two-day warm-up game. He will now return to the UK to recuperate, with England set to name a replacement in due course. Jamie Overton would be the leading candidate as a like-for-like quick-bowling replacement, with Essex's Jamie Porter also in the reckoning.
Stone's chances of breaking into the Test side on this tour were limited. But the England management were impressed by his pace and his attitude in Sri Lanka last year, where he claimed a wicket with his seventh ball in international cricket: a bouncer that took the gloves of Niroshan Dickwella as he fended the ball away from his face. He is seen as the sort of bowler who could learn from being in the environment and one day make a difference on an Ashes tour.
England's bowlers enjoyed a good morning on the second day of their warm-up game in Barbados. Sam Curran, given the new ball ahead of Stuart Broad with a view to maximising the swing available, and James Anderson both struck twice in their opening spells with the President's XI subsiding to 13 for 4 within the first eight overs.
Jack Leach also claimed a wicket before lunch, with the President's XI batsmen paying the price for some loose strokes.