England’s preparations for the second Test against New Zealand have suffered another setback as Ollie Robinson was ruled out with soreness in his right knee.
The seamer’s absence follows captain Ben Stokes and pace bowler Gus Atkinson being made unavailable for Wednesday’s contest at The Oval pending an investigation into their involvement in an incident in a London nightclub.
Missing the second Test is a huge personal blow for Robinson, who only made his comeback in the first Test after a two-year absence from international cricket.
The 32-year-old reiterated his class, taking seven wickets in the match, including three in his first over.
But part of the Sussex man’s exile from the England team was down to doubts from management over his fitness and ability to hold his pace in repeated spells over a long period.
In being forced to sit out the Test at The Oval, Robinson must wait for another opportunity to prove he is durable enough for the international arena.
England said Robinson will remain with the squad and work towards a possible return in the third Test at Trent Bridge, beginning on 25 June.
But in losing another member of the XI that played in the first-Test win at Lord’s, England will now make at least three changes to their side, and possibly as many as five.
Atkinson and Robinson will need to be replaced in the pace attack, with Jofra Archer almost certain to take one spot after missing the first Test following his stint in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Archer trained with England at The Oval on Sunday.
The remaining make-up of England’s team will come down to how they opt to replace all-rounder Stokes in the XI.
One option would be to bring in a specialist batter – one of Jordan Cox or James Rew – leaving England with four frontline bowlers, probably all seamers. From the trio of Matthew Fisher and the uncapped Sonny Baker and Henry Crocombe, two would come into the side.
A less likely composition of a four-man attack would include off-spinner Shoaib Bashir alongside three seamers. It would be tough on Bashir if he is omitted, but he was not required to bowl a ball at Lord’s and Surrey often play home matches at The Oval without a specialist spinner.
An all-round replacement for Stokes would be leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed, who could play in his first home Test and bat at number seven. This would give England the option of a spinner and four seamers.
However, with Archer looking likely to bat at eight, England have a lengthy tail, probably meaning the hosts needs the insurance of the extra batter. Spin bowling could be done by stand-in captain Joe Root and Jacob Bethell.
A further complication for England is the impending arrival of wicketkeeper Jamie Smith’s second child.
Smith missed the tour of New Zealand in 2024 for the birth of his first child, and even though England have said they expect him to play in the second Test, they have also not ruled out the 25-year-old needing to be with his partner.
Both Cox and Rew are wicketkeepers, so England have options, and both could be in the XI if Smith is not. If Smith plays, they could be vying for one batting spot.
Somerset’s Rew was in the squad for the first Test, but Essex’s Cox has been in Test squads before and was first called up before Rew. Cox made a double century for Essex in the County Championship on Saturday.
From the England team that played at Lord’s, Stokes, Atkinson and Robinson will definitely miss out at The Oval and could be joined on the sidelines by Bashir and Smith.
New Zealand have their own dilemma following the sudden retirement of their all-time leading run-scorer Kane Williamson.
Batter Will Young joined up with the tourists’ squad on Sunday as Williamson’s replacement.