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Sri Lanka vs England: Liam Dawson dealt World Cup blow as injury rules spinner out of tour

AFP/Getty Images
AFP/Getty Images

Liam Dawson’s hopes of making England’s World Cup squad have suffered a blow as he was ruled out of the remainder of the tour of Sri Lanka with a side strain that will see him replaced in the ODI squad by Joe Denly.

Denly will arrive in Sri Lanka ahead of Saturday’s Fourth ODI (the third is also in Kandy, on Wednesday) and get a chance to acclimatise to conditions before the Test series, which he is in the squad for.

He was due to arrive with the other Test specialists on the 25th, but could now play his first ODI for nine years.

Since then, Denly’s legspin has improved significantly, making him a viable option to replace Dawson - who was in the XI for the first two matches of the series - taking one for 26 from six tidy overs in the second. It is thought he suffered the injury during that spell.

This is a severe blow to Dawson’s hopes of making the World Cup squad. He would have expected to partner Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid in the remaining three matches here, and there are just five more games after that (in the Caribbean in February) before the provisional squad must be submitted on April 23 ahead of the tournament, which starts on May 30.

He is in contention to be an understudy to Moeen and Rashid, but his spot could as easily go to a utility batsman like Sam Billings or even 32-year-old Denly, who recently received his first Test call-up. Left-arm spinner Dawson needs every game he can to prove his value to England’s selectors.

His absence on Wednesday would provide England with a headache, with spin so important in Sri Lanka. Joe Root can bowl adequately, but Dawson would need to be replaced by a seamer who could operate tightly through the middle overs – Dawson has essentially claimed the role of Liam Plunkett, who arrives tomorrow after getting married.

“It’s a shame for Daws,” said team-mate Chris Woakes. “The big thing about Daws is that he’s a brilliant team man, he’s been in and out for quite a while and hasn’t had many opportunities to play. When he looks like he is going to be a shoo-in for that third spinner’s role, he unfortunately gets a bit of a niggle.

(REUTERS)
(REUTERS)

"He’ll be as frustrated as anyone. Hopefully, it is not too bad and he can play a part moving forward. He’s great to have around the squad, he’s been brilliant and he deserves his opportunities.”

Tom Curran, one of only three bowlers to take a five-wicket haul for England in ODIs since the last World Cup, appears likely to pip his brother Sam and Mark Wood to that spot, with his ability to bowl at the death a bonus.