LONDON, CMC – A fractured finger has forced Eoin Morgan out of the Hurricane Relief Twenty20 International against West Indies at Lord’s tommorrow.
The England white-ball captain was expected to lead the ICC World XI but sustained the injury while fielding for Middlesex against Somerset in domestic match at Taunton on Sunday.
Subsequent x-rays revealed a crack at the top of the ring finger on his right hand.
“It is not a bad crack but it is bad enough to keep him out of tomorrow’s Middlesex game and the World XI game,” said Andy Flower, who is standing in for Andrew Strauss as England’s director of cricket.
“It is not a huge concern, it is one we can hopefully manage past in about a week.”
Morgan has been replaced as captain by veteran dashing Pakistani all-rounder Shahid Afridi while Englishman Sam Billings takes his place in the squad.
Surrey’s 19-year-old all-rounder Sam Curran along with England fast bowler Tymal Mills have also been added to the World XI squad.
Billings arrives in the squad fresh off a stint in the Indian Premier League for eventual champions Chennai Super Kings.
The 26-year-oldwicketkeeper-batsman has played 13 one-dayers and 17 Twenty20 Internationals, and 142 T20s overall.
Curran, meanwhile, is the brother of England seamer Tom Curran, and is highly regarded, having already played 104 wickets in 38 first class matches.
Mills is a T20 specialist who has campaigned in the Big Bash, Pakistan Super League and the IPL, taking 94 wickets from 85 matches.
Tomorrow’s match will raise funds to repair stadia in the Caribbean damaged by the passage of Hurricanes Irma and Maria last September.
