Jack Leach feared health problems had ended England career: "You question if that opportunity will come again"

The left-arm spinner has not represented his country in over a year after contracting sepsis and being declared vulnerable amid the Covid-19 pandemic

Jack Leach admits worrying that his health problems had ended hopes of representing England again.

The left-arm spinner has not played international cricket for over a year.

A long-time sufferer from Crohn's disease which leaves him with a weak immune system, a succession of issues has halted Leach's progress.

He left the tour of New Zealand in 2019 after contracting sepsis and suffered from Covid-19-like symptoms in South Africa.

Declared vulnerable by the government amid the coronavirus pandemic, the 29-year-old had a watching brief for much of the summer inside the bio-secure bubble.

As a result, he made just two competitive outings in 2020 for county Somerset in the Bob Willis Trophy.

But having been selected in the squad for the upcoming Sri Lanka Test series and with a tour to India on the horizon, Leach will have ample opportunity to put a nightmare 14 months behind him.

"I try to focus on what an amazing opportunity it is to play for England and there have been times when I’ve wondered if that would happen again," he told BBC Radio Five Live's The Inside Track.

"The last year or so there have been lows for me and you question if that opportunity will come again."

Leach's health history means he is in line for advanced access to a Covid-19 vaccine. Adults aged between 16 and 65 in the at-risk group are sixth in the priority list.

But the spinner doesn't believe sportspeople should be given a special dispensation or allowed to jump the queue to be immunised. The IOC is currently pushed for athletes hoping to compete at the Tokyo Olympics to vaccinated to ensure the Games can go ahead.

While he waits for a jab Leach remains anxious about contracting the virus - even if he is increasingly confident about fighting it off.

"I do a little bit," he added. "I guess everyone who hasn’t experienced it has a certain element of ‘how will I react to this?’ 

"The medication I’m on does weaken my immune system and I had some illness last winter. I was very ill in NZ with sepsis, which makes me feel like if I did get coronavirus, I’d be able to fight it off."

Having etched his name in Ashes folklore at Headingley and had a taste of the rivalry with Australia, Leach is eager to be involved again when the urn is up for grabs next winter.

"I’d be lying if I didn’t think ‘the Ashes is next year’ because I have such fond memories of playing in the Ashes," Leach said. "It’s definitely a tour that I want to be on. The only way to be on that tour is to do the little things right along the way."

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