Josh Hull, the Leicestershire left-arm seamer, has been ruled out of England men's Test tour of Pakistan with a quad injury.
Hull, 20, picked up the niggle during his debut in the final Test of the summer against Sri Lanka at the Kia Oval. At the time, the ECB felt there was time for him to recover and pulled him out of the limited-overs series against Australia.
However, with the issue persisting, the decision was made on Thursday to stand Hull down from the three-Test series. England have chosen not to draft in a replacement and will travel to Pakistan with a 16-man squad on October 1, ahead of the first Test in Multan, which begins on October 7.
Hull's initial selection on the tour had come with a view to fast-tracking his development as a point of difference for England's attack. At 6ft7in, with his left-arm angle and ability to bring the ball into right-handers, he offered unique skillsets as the selectors looked ahead to the Ashes next winter.
After taking five wickets in a tour match against Sri Lanka, Hull was drafted into the squad following Mark Wood's injury in the first Test at Emirates Old Trafford. A strong impression in training caught the eye of head coach Brendon McCullum and bowling consultant James Anderson, leading to a surprise debut at The Oval.
He showed flashes of promise, taking 3 for 53 in the first innings, but went wicketless in the second as Sri Lanka chased down 219 to inflict England's only Test defeat of the summer. The match was Hull's 11th first-class match of his career, coming in a season where he had managed just two wickets in three Division Two appearances for Leicestershire, at a hefty average of 182.50.
It is unclear whether Hull would have added to his cap in Pakistan, or indeed if he will be taken on the tour to New Zealand. The ECB will oversee his recovery.