Willey to rejoin England squad in London

SOUTHAMPTON, England: There was a sense of relief in the England camp ahead of their series-opening One-day International (ODI) here at Ageas Bowl when it was announced that all-rounder David Willey will rejoin their squad later this week in London.

There were fears that Willey will miss the entire ODI series because of a hand injury but doctors have concluded that the player just suffered bruising.

Willey was struck on the left hand in his follow through by a powerful drive from Durham’s Mark Stoneman while bowling in Yorkshire’s T20 Blast semi-final on Saturday. He continued to play a full part in the game, finishing his overs and opening the batting with his hand tightly strapped, but was initially ruled out of the one-day series against Pakistan after scans on Sunday.

However, it has now been confirmed that Willey only suffered bruising, rather than any kind of break, and he will link up with the England squad after Wednesday’s first ODI.

An England spokesman said: “On further review today, David Willey has been cleared of a fracture to his left hand and he will rejoin England’s ODI squad on Thursday. His progress will be monitored by the medical team during the series.”

Willey had tweeted on Sunday evening that he still hoped to play a part in the series and he followed that up with a picture of the bruising on Monday, adding: “Good news! No serious damage so I’ll be back as soon as the swelling goes!”