Summary Jack Leach has broken the thumb on his bowling hand on the eve of England's squad selection.
LONDON (AFP) - Jack Leach has broken the thumb on his bowling hand on the eve of England s squad selection for the first Test against Pakistan, his county side Somerset announced on Monday.
Leach, who impressed on his recent Test debut against New Zealand in Christchurch, took a blow to his thumb while batting in the nets before the final day of Somerset s County Championship match against Hampshire at Taunton.
After his absence throughout the morning session, Somerset confirmed the nature of the injury via Twitter.
"Jack Leach has sustained a broken left thumb. It s too early to know how long he will be out for at the moment," the tweet said.
Leach s likely unavailability for the first Test against Pakistan, which starts at Lord s on May 24, could mean a reprieve for Moeen Ali.
Off-spinning all-rounder Moeen was dropped for the drawn Test against the Black Caps in March, making room for slow left-armer Leach to make his international debut at the age of 26.
New national selector Ed Smith is due to announce the squad for the first Test on Tuesday.
