One must pick himself up and the other is flying high but it is to be hoped that both can justify inclusion in the squad
England’s preparations for the World Cup have been silky smooth for the past two years, during which a settled side with a very good captain, audacious batsmen and tenacious bowlers who have learned to keep their heads high even when the ball has just disappeared over the boundary have become the best in the world, according to the ICC rankings.
But now with the start of the tournament a month away the usual pin-pricks – an inconvenient list of injury concerns over Jason Roy, Joe Denly, Tom Curran and Sam Billings and the perennial worries over the fitness of Chris Woakes and Mark Wood – have been exacerbated by news of Alex Hales’s recent 21-day ban for recreational drug use.
Related: Jofra Archer ‘calm and optimistic’ following England call-up
Related: England's Alex Hales banned for 21 days for recreational drug use
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