England have called up Somerset stumper-batsman James Rew for the one-off test against Zimbabwe later this month to replace Jordan Cox, who has been ruled out after sustaining an abdominal muscle injury.
Essex batter Cox suffered the injury while batting against Somerset in the latest round of the County Championship, the England and Wales Cricket Board said in a statement on Thursday.
This is the first senior England call-up for the 21-year-old Rew, who has been in outstanding form in this year’s County Championship.
Rew is currently averaging 54.21 with the bat, including a highest score of 152.
With nearly all of their frontline fast bowlers unavailable through injuries, Gus Atkinson will lead England's inexperienced pace attack in the test match beginning on May 22nd at Trent Bridge.