England cricketer Olly Stone has ruled himself out playing test cricket this summer. The fast bowler last represented his country in the longest format in 2021 against New Zealand.
The 28-year-old’s career has been blighted by injury and he has suffered four stress fractures in the last five years. He is set to make another comeback and is due to represent county champions Warwickshire this summer.
Therefore, he will not put himself forward for England selection until the winter, as he endeavours to build up his fitness and confidence. "Maybe for the right reasons it could be get a good block of cricket this summer for Warwickshire and maybe some white-ball cricket for England if selected,” Stone told The Telegraph.
“And then put my name into the hat for some Test cricket next winter.” In the three red-ball games he has played since his debut in 2019, Stone has taken 10 wickets at an average of 19.40.
Last November, he even considered retiring from tests after having surgery to insert a screw into a stress fracture in his back sustained last July. "I've given myself the best possible chance of doing everything I can to play Test cricket, and if it means I can't, it would sit right with me if I have to call it a day in the longer format," the 28-year-old said at the time.
"If I'm being honest, I've had to properly think hard about whether I want to try and get back out there and do it again.” Four months on, a reinvigorated Stone declared his sheer love for bowling fast and wants to continue to do so for as long as possible.
“It comes with the job,” laughs Olly Stone of the perils of bowling fast. “You're going to pick up injuries. Unfortunately we were silly enough to decide to do it. But there's nothing better than running in and bowling fast. It's a high-risk job. I’d never change it and I love it.
"Unfortunately when things go wrong they’re more severe than for others because you do put that amount of force in. So those things are going to happen.” His rapid pace would have been welcome in the Caribbean as England slumped to a 1-0 defeat in the three-match test series against the West Indies.
The Barmy Army struggled to break the resistance of the Windies as excellent batting performances from captain Kraigg Brathwaite, Nkrumah Bonner and Joshua Da Silva across the series set a strong foundation for the hosts. The Caribbean outfit's bowling blew England away in the final match, lead by all-rounded Kyle Mayers who took his first five-wicket haul in tests. England sit bottom of the World test Championship and their confidence is currently at an all-time low.
