Josh Tongue is concentrating on the short term with Nottinghamshire after a busy summer

Josh Tongue is still amazed by his 'crazy summer' last year. However, he has learned not to look too far ahead due to the speed of his rise and injury setbacks along the way.

After taking a five-wicket haul on his Test debut against Ireland at Lord's last June, Tongue returned to the venue weeks later and took David Warner and Steve Smith in both innings of his lone Ashes match.

Tongue's progress has been interrupted by a couple of separate pectoral issues. These issues were unconnected to a shoulder nerve problem that sidelined him between June 2021 and August 2022. Unfortunately, these issues denied him an ODI debut in the Caribbean towards the end of last year and possible involvement in England's recent Test tour of India.

However, after undergoing surgery in December, Tongue is back to bowling in practice ahead of schedule. He is now awaiting the green light to return to competitive action for the first time since last August.

After moving from Worcestershire to Nottinghamshire over the winter, the 26-year-old is now focused on impressing at Trent Bridge instead of thinking about the upcoming English Test summer.

“I don’t really look into the future at all. Last summer, I didn’t think I would have ever played for England and then all of a sudden, I had the phone call and I was selected. “

After awarding Tongue a two-year central contract, England is likely to monitor him closely. The first Test of the summer is scheduled for July 10 against the West Indies at Lord's.

With Stuart Broad's retirement last year, there is at least one vacancy for a seamer. Rob Key, England's director of men's cricket, recently stated that they are searching for bowlers who can consistently operate in the mid-to-high 80mph range, and Tongue fits the bill.

Although Broad's departure has left a significant gap at Nottinghamshire, Tongue immediately dismissed the idea that he could be the long-term replacement.

Nottinghamshire, who lost to Essex in their Vitality County Championship opener, are scheduled to host Worcestershire this week. However, Tongue, who used to play for Worcestershire, is unlikely to be available.