SA vs ENG | James Anderson ruled out of tour with rib injury

The nightmare for the English camp in South Africa seems to have no end, as the side have now been dealt a body blow to their chances of winning the series, with veteran pacer James Anderson ruled out of the remainder of the series with a rib injury. Anderson sustained the injury on the final day of the Newlands Test, where he showed clear signs of discomfort. The pacer bowled a total of just three overs with the second new ball, with Dom Bess and Ben Stokes stepping up with the ball in his absence.

The English team management were hopeful of the injury being a minor one, but an MRI scan revealed that the extent of injury was bad enough to rule Anderson out of the next two Tests. England have, however, not named a replacement for the pace stalwart, with Craig Overton already in the squad as a standby and with both Jofra Archer and Mark Wood set to be fit in time for the third Test.

“England seamer James Anderson has been ruled out of the remainder of the Test series against South Africa,” the England and Wales Cricket Board said on Wednesday.

With age not on his side, the injury comes as a massive blow to Anderson on a personal scale, after making his return in the first Test of the series in Centurion, having missed the entirety of the Ashes and the New Zealand Tests owing to a calf injury.  

The two teams will enjoy a week off before locking horns at the St George's Park in Port Elizabeth on January 16.