Hull Ruled Out of England's Pakistan Tour

England's fast bowler, Josh Hull, has been forced to withdraw from the upcoming tour of Pakistan after suffering a quad injury. The 20-year-old left-arm pacer, who made his Test debut earlier this month against Sri Lanka, has only played in 10 first-class matches.

Hull, who claimed three wickets during England’s third Test defeat at The Oval, was initially sidelined for the limited-overs series against Australia before being ruled out of the Pakistan tour as well. Despite the setback, England has decided not to name a replacement for him.

Hull was one of six fast bowlers included in England’s 17-man squad, but his injury adds him to an already lengthy list of sidelined pacers. Mark Wood, Josh Tongue, and Dillon Pennington are also unavailable, while Jamie Overton and Jofra Archer are currently restricted to playing white-ball formats.

England’s fast-bowling woes are compounded by concerns over captain Ben Stokes' ability to bowl during the early stages of the tour. Stokes has been out of action since August due to a hamstring injury. Although England issued a statement on Wednesday saying Stokes is "on track" to be fit for the series, the all-rounder himself expressed doubts about his readiness to bowl in the opening Test during an interview with Sky Sports.

The availability of Olly Stone is another factor in England’s pace attack, as he is set to return home between the first and second Tests to attend his wedding.

England’s tour kicks off on 7 October in Multan, with the squad departing for Pakistan on Tuesday.