England fast bowler Olly Stone out for the season with back injury

England fast bowler Olly Stone will miss the rest of the season after suffering a stress fracture of the back, team management announced Saturday. Stone’s latest setback of an injury-blighted career has led to the uncapped George Garton being called into England’s one-day international squad for the upcoming series against Sri Lanka. The 27-year-old Stone’s stress fracture was diagnosed after he played in last week’s eight-wicket defeat by New Zealand in the second Test at Edgbaston — his Warwickshire home ground. Stone had suffered two previous stress fractures in 2019 and this latest setback threatens his availability for England’s Ashes tour of Australia later in the year. News that he would miss the rest of the 2021 season came as 50-over world champions England unveiled a 16-man squad for a three-match ODI series at home to Sri Lanka staring later this month. “Unfortunately, following the second Test at Edgbaston against New Zealand, Olly Stone has been diagnosed with a stress fracture of his lower back and will miss the rest of the summer with the injury,” said England head coach Chris Silverwood in an England and Wales Cricket Board statement. “It is a great shame as Olly was showing real promise with the ball and would have been part of our selection plans for this series,” the former England paceman added. England have been keeping an eye on Sussex left-arm quick Garton for several seasons, with the 24-year-old having taken eight wickets in four domestic T20 Blast matches at just 8.37 apiece so far this term. Garton was called into England’s second-string Lions side shortly after his professional debut in 2016 and then found himself deployed as a net bowler during the 2017/18 Ashes. “We have been monitoring the progress of George Garton for quite some time,” said Silverwood. “His ability to bowl quick with his point of difference being a left-armer certainly gives us options in this series, and he deserves his chance at this level.” Meanwhile, Ben Stokes is set to return for Durham this weekend following a finger injury that meant the star all-rounder missed both Tests against New Zealand. Stokes was left out of an ODI squad again captained by 2019 World Cup-winning skipper Eoin Morgan, who will also lead England in three preceding T20 matches against Sri Lanka this month. England ODI squad for Sri Lanka Eoin Morgan (capt), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler (wkt), Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Liam Dawson, George Garton, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood Fixtures: Jun 29: England v Sri Lanka, 1st ODI, Chester-le-Street (1000 GMT) Jul 1: England v Sri Lanka, 2nd ODI, The Oval (1200 GMT) Jul 4: England v Sri Lanka, 3rd ODI, Bristol (1000 GMT)