Joe Root ruled out of Windies tour

Joe Root

(BBC) Joe Root will miss England’s Twenty20 matches against West Indies after breaking his right thumb in Wednesday’s one-day international win in Antigua.

The Yorkshireman was struck by the third ball of his innings, but went on to make 107 as England won by 25 runs and claimed the three-match series 2-1.  Root, 23, will fly back to England on Thursday for a scan on the injury.  It is not clear whether he will be fit enough to travel to Bangladesh for the ICC World T20, starting on 16 March.

Root was struck on the glove by a delivery from Windies paceman Ravi Rampaul but went on to complete his maiden ODI century.

England continue their preparations for this month’s tournament with three T20 internationals against West Indies in Bridgetown – the first of which is on Sunday, 9 March.

Joe Root
Joe Root

The squad then heads to Asia where they take on New Zealand in their opening match of the tournament on Saturday, 22 March.

A tweet from the England and Wales Cricket Board read: “Joe Root has a fractured thumb and is returning home to see a specialist. Ruled out of West Indies T20s, World T20 decision not made yet.”

Root made his international debut in a Test match against India in Nagpur in December 2012, scoring 73 in his first innings, and has quickly become a fixture for England in all three formats of the game.

He averages 36 from his 15 Test matches, 38 from 26 one-day internationals and 50 in seven T20 internationals.

Root also emerged as an unlikely opening bowler with his off-spinners during the West Indies series, taking a combined 4-86 in the three games with a best of 2-15.