Jamie Overton ruled out of England Test summer with stress fracture

England’s pacer Jamie Overto has been ruled out of England’s upcoming Test summer in July 2024. The 30-year-old sustained a stress fracture in his lower back and won't be available for England's Test series against the West Indies and Sri Lanka this summer.

Overton has only played one Test for England so far, which came against New Zealand in June 2022, when he picked two wickets and scored 97 runs at No. 8.

Overton seemed was set for a long haul with the English side, however, he was ruled out of the subsequent Ashes series due to a stress fracture and has been diagnosed with one once again. He is expected to miss the upcoming Ashes series as well.

Overton felt discomfort in his back after Surrey's draw against Somerset in the County Championship, and the fracture could be a big blow for him as he was expecting a selection in England’s T20 World Cup squad as well. 

"We can confirm that Jamie Overton has suffered a stress fracture of the lower back. There is currently no timeline for his return, but he will continue his recovery under the guidance of the Surrey medical department," a Surrey spokesperson was quoted as saying by IndiaToday. 

Interestingly, after the conclusion of the T20 World Cup on June 29, England will be gearing up for the much-awaited home Test summer, where they will host the West Indies and Sri Lanka for a three-game Test series each. The last Test against the West Indies will commence on July 26, while the Sri Lanka series set to begin from August 21, with the series running until September 6. 

England will have an uphill task in regards to their bowling lineup for the Test summer as veteran Stuart Broad has already retired from the sport, and James Anderson is all set to bid adieu to Test cricket after England's first Test against the West Indies at the Lord’s.