Durham seamer Mark Wood has been added to England‘s Test squad in the West Indies as a replacement for the injured Olly Stone.
Wood, who played the last of his 12 Tests against Pakistan last May, has been given the nod after Stone was diagnosed with a tour-ending bone stress injury in his back.
The 29-year-old, who was already due to fly to the Caribbean for next month’s one-day series, will link up with the squad over the weekend.
Wood has been selected ahead of both Jamie Overton and Jamie Porter, who will remain in India with the England Lions.
It was on Lions duty that Wood re-established his red-ball credentials before Christmas, taking five wickets against Pakistan A and impressing with his pace.
An Ashes winner in 2015, Wood has 30 Test wickets at 41.73 but has been a more regular part of the limited-overs squad in recent years.
Stone was looking forward to his Test debut, telling the Independent that his consistency gave him confidence that he was ready.
“I learnt a lot off the field, in the nets around those Test matches as well. It was a great thing to be a part of,” Stone explained to the Independent.
“I was happy with how I started. I would have snapped someone’s hand off to start that well. It calmed the nerves a little bit.
“Am I bowling as quickly as I ever have done? I’m not sure, I just think I’m more consistent. I can keep producing those spells, not just having one or two that are quick – I can back it up now.
“Getting a run of games last season really built my confidence. I think I showed people what I can do and also showed that the injury hasn’t affected me. If anything, it has made me better.”
