England pacer Josh Hull was handed a debut on Friday, when he made it to England's playing XI against Sri Lanka at the Kennington Oval in London. Having won the three-match Test series 2-0, the Englishmen decided to replace fellow pacer Matthew Potts and bring in Hull, a 20-year-old who is making the ripples in English cricket for a while now.
Hull has drawn the attention of one and all in the cricketing world, being one of the tallest pacers around at the moment, at 6 feet and 7 inches.
Hull was named as a replacement in the England squad for the series against Sri Lanka when ace pacer Mark Wood was ruled out of the series with a thigh injury.
Josh Hull was inducted as a Test cricketer by Freddie Flintoff 🙏England cap #716 🏴#ENGvSLpic.twitter.com/8kXjiGx1w6
— England’s Barmy Army 🏴🎺 (@TheBarmyArmy) September 6, 2024
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Much unlikely for a senior England team pacer, Hull has played just 10 first-class matches and nine List-A games, besides 21 T20s. He has taken 16 wickets in those 10 FC games at an economy of 4.91.
But as luck would have it, not his performances but Hull's height drew the attention of the England management led by Brendon McCullum and they called him over from first-class duties to play for the senior team.
Hull's inclusion continues the trend of England's selection committee looking not just at performances but X-factors among their first-class players. One of such examples is Shoaib Bashir, who was picked up for the India tour earlier this year, and also provides a height advantage at 6 feet and 4 inches.
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Hull's fortunes have taken a huge turn in the last one and a half years. In early 2023, he was playing for Stamford School, having moved to Leicestershire from Northamptonshire.
On Friday, Hull was presented with his England cap by Andrew Flintoff, who has joined the England set-up as an assistant coach ahead of the third Test against Sri Lanka.