England player Jack Leach had to be ruled out due to a concussion on the first day of the first Test against New Zealand. Leg spinner Matt Parkinson was included in his place. Leach has been ruled out of the Test match. Concussion protocol allows a player to be out of a match for the incoming player to conform. Leach is a spinner and Parkinson is also a spinner. Parkinson has been called from Manchester. He will join the team as soon as he arrives.
Dom Bess and Moeen Ali retired from Test cricket last year. He had indicated a willingness to play back but Parkinson took the lead in the team as he struck. Parkinson, who plays for Lancashire, has taken 126 wickets in 37 first-class matches.
In this match, Leach dived to stop a ball and inserted the ball through the rope but hit his head. He also suffered a neck injury in the process. During this, New Zealand’s medical team first came on the field and took care of Leach. Later he returned to the pavilion.
The host board’s medical team also examined Leach, and an ECB statement said Jack Leach had symptoms of a concussion after a head injury sustained while fielding. As per the concussion guidelines, it has been decided to withdraw him from the Test match.
It was a big setback for England on the first day of the Lord’s Test against the Kiwis. Other than that everything was going well for him. The fast bowling pair of James Anderson and Stuart Broad gave 6 big blows to the Kiwi team in the very beginning.
