Sam Billings and Ollie Pope face missing most of the current domestic English cricket season after dislocating their shoulders in two separate one-day incidents, giving England further injury concerns going into their busy white-ball season.
Billings was due to play in next Friday’s one-day international against Ireland and the Twenty20 against Pakistan on 5 May, but was hurt in Kent’s Royal London One-Day Cup match against Glamorgan on Thursday, with Foakes called up in his place. The Surrey wicketkeeper Ben Foakes is in line to make his white-ball debut in his place. Billings was treated with oxygen on the field before being taken to hospital in Cardiff for a scan.
On Friday Paul Downton, Kent’s director of cricket, said: “Sam has seen a specialist this morning [26 April], where he underwent a scan to assess the extent of his injury. The scan highlighted significant damage to his shoulder, meaning he will require surgical intervention. This surgery has been scheduled for next week and it is anticipated that he will be back to fitness within three to five months.”
Later on Friday, Surrey confirmed that Pope had also dislocated a shoulder while fielding in Tuesday’s One-Day Cup win over Essex.
“Having since visited a specialist, he has been advised that surgery would be the best course of action,” read a Surrey statement. “It is hoped he will return to first-team cricket towards the back end of the current 2019 domestic season.”
With England’s first-choice wicketkeepers Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow both being rested, Foakes has got the call after some outstanding recent form in the One-Day Cup. On Thursday he made 71 from 80 balls against Middlesex, his third half-century in as many games. The call-up gives him another chance to impress after being named Man of the Series in his maiden Test tour of Sri Lanka last year – seizing his chance after injury sidelined Bairstow.
Though he was not in England’s World Cup squad, Billings had been looking to press his claims for selection as a batting reserve. Instead, his first Kent appearance of the season after a stint in the IPL with the Chennai Super Kings was cut short in the opening over.
He and Pope now join a list of injury concerns for England which also includes Eoin Morgan, Jason Roy and Joe Denly. Morgan is dealing with sore shins, while both Roy and Denly have suffered back spasms.