Ben Stokes: Boundary markers should be looked at after Reece Topley injury

GEORGE DOBELL IN PERTH: Topley suffered ankle ligament damage after tripping over a 20cm-high boundary toblerone during fielding practice

Ben Stokes has branded the size of boundary markers in high-profile games as "stupid" after Reece Topley was ruled out of the T20 World Cup by a serious ankle injury.

Topley, the England fast bowler, will return to the UK on Saturday night after he suffered ligament damage when tripping over the boundary marker - often referred to as 'toblerones' due to their triangular shape - while attempting an outfield catch during training. A decision will be held on whether he requires surgery next week.

That has left Stokes calling for a review into the size of the toblerones in the interest of "player safety".

"It's stupid," Stokes said. "It should be looked at. It's a shocker for him.

"Unfortunately, it's taken one of our players to be ruled out of the World Cup [to make people notice]. I'm pretty sure it's something they can look at but you know what it's like: everybody wants to get their names on somewhere.

"But you look at player safety and the fact he's stood on it and it's ruptured ligaments and now he's out of the World Cup.

"We are all just absolutely gutted for him that he's missed out on this World Cup. He would have been one of the first names on the team sheet I'm sure after the way he's performed. So, I'm devastated for him."

^{Toblerone markers at the T20 World Cup are 20cm high (Martin Keep/AFP via Getty Images)}

The markers, which are used instead of the more traditional boundary rope to accommodate lucrative advertising logos, are 20 centimetres high (and 20 cms wide at their base) at the T20 World Cup. A traditional boundary rope is 4 cms high.

An ICC spokesperson made the point that the boundary markers are used regularly in international cricket - and franchise cricket, too - and there have never previously been any official complaints. The ECB are thought unlikely to make any such complaint.

That view was effectively endorsed by Jos Buttler, the England captain, who referred to the incident as "a freak accident".

"To be honest it is an accident," Buttler told the BBC. "I don't think it is a big issue. People used to play in the past with no boundary rope and used to run into a fence. You have got to be careful.

"We practice around the boundary a lot to try and get used to it. I don't see it as any more than a freak accident."

The UAE's Aayan Afzal Khan also tripped over the boundary marker as he left the pitch after batting against Netherlands. On that occasion the damage appeared to be more to his pride than his body.

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