Finn replaces injured Willey for West Indies tour

(Photo: Getty Images)

By Harvey Burgess

Fast bowler David Willey has been ruled out of the upcoming tour to West Indies after partially tearing a shoulder in his tendon.

Steven Finn will take Willey’s place in the squad for the three-match series. The two sides will face off twice in Antigua before a third match in Barbados.

Willey, the Yorkshire all-rounder, suffered the injury during the recent tour of India and has undergone surgery last Friday to help him recover.

He managed to bowl just two overs in England’s victory over India on January 22 before being forced off the field with a shoulder problem, and will now be out of action until April at the earliest. He was unable to take part in the T20 series, which England also lost 2-1.

Finn, the Middlesex bowler, has not played any one-day cricket for his country since a 93-run victory over Australia in September 2015 and is currently playing for Islamabad United in the Pakistan Super League in the United Arab Emirates.

The other fast-bowling options available to the England selectors are Jake Ball, Liam Plunkett and Chris Woakes.

England, who will play two warm-up matches before the series, have been rated as favourites to win, partly due to their current ranking. The touring side are 5th in the World Rankings, while West Indies are 9th.

England ODI squad: Eoin Morgan (Middlesex, captain), Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire), Jake Ball (Nottinghamshire), Sam Billings (Kent), Jos Buttler (Lancashire), Liam Dawson (Hampshire), Liam Plunkett (Yorkshire), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Jason Roy (Surrey), Ben Stokes (Durham), Steven Finn (Middlesex), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire).