Huge blow for England! Star pacer ruled out of ICC Champions Trophy 2025 match vs AFG
Published - 24 Feb 2025, 04:37 PM | Updated - 24 Feb 2025, 05:05 PM
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The England National Cricket Team is all set to face a major setback in the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy 2025. They have already suffered a massive defeat to Australia in their tournament opener and are now facing the uphill task of winning the remaining two games to make it to the semifinals.
Actually, England pacer Brydon Carse is all but ruled out of their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 match against Afghanistan due to a recurring blister on his left foot. This do-or-die match for both England and Afghanistan will be held at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on February 26.
Brydon Carse set to miss England's must-win clash against Afghanistan
Brydon Carse had previously missed two ODIs against India due to a blister on his left toe, which needed stitches. The stitches were removed last week, allowing him to play in England’s tournament opener against Australia. However, the 29-year-old pacer struggled with the issue and proved expensive.
The English seamer conceded 69 runs in seven overs as Jos Buttler and his team suffered a five-wicket defeat to Australia last week in Lahore. Unfortunately, the injury has resurfaced, putting his availability for the rest of the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy 2025 under dark clouds.
Brydon didn’t train on Monday, making it unlikely that England will risk playing him against Afghanistan in their crucial Champions Trophy 2025 match in Lahore. With their semi-final hopes hanging by a thread, Jamie Overton is expected to replace Carse in England’s XI against Afghanistan.
We will have to wait and see: Joe Root on Carse’s injury
However, Carse’s chances of recovering in time for the England team’s final group match against South Africa on March 1 remain uncertain. Joe Root revealed that there is uncertainty about Carse’s availability ahead of their must-win Champions Trophy games.
Joe Root was quoted as saying by BBC, “We will have to wait and see. There is still a good way out from the game, to find exactly what is up with Carsey. We will see how things pan out over the next few days.”
If Brydon Carse fails to recover in time for the final group match against South Africa, England could be forced to make a last-minute change in the Champions Trophy squad. They might turn to leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed, who could bring a new dimension to their bowling attack.
Read Also: "It's still bigger": Pat Cummins insults India a day after CT 2025 win over Pakistan
Brydon Carse’s IPL 2025 stint in jeopardy
However, Jamie Overton is also likely to get a chance as there are no travelling reserves with the squad in Pakistan. The setback also puts Carse’s IPL 2025 stint with Sunrisers Hyderabad in doubt. He was snapped up by the SRH for INR 1 crore at the IPL 2025 mega auction last year.
Notably, England set a new Champions Trophy record by scoring 351/8 recently in Lahore, but Australia didn’t take much time to break this record by chasing down the target with 15 balls to spare.
On the other hand, Afghanistan also suffered a heavy defeat in their first match, losing to South Africa by 107 runs in Karachi. Now, a losing team between England and Afghanistan will likely be on the verge of elimination from the ongoing eight-nation tournament.
