Pope kept for 68 overs on day two of England’s warm-up in place of Cox without putting a foot wrong. England gambled on not picking a reserve keeper for New Zealand and it has bitten them. The injury is a cruel blow for Cox who was a spare batsman in the summer against Sri Lanka and in Pakistan. Cox was a gamble selection by England, because he had not kept in red-ball cricket for 15 months until the first day in Queenstown. He was close to selection in the summer but England opted for Smith based on his ability with the bat.

Source: Stuff November 24, 2024 10:33 UTC