England call up Saqib Mahmood as cover

The Lancashire seamer’s call-up as cover follows calf and quad niggles to Stuart Broad and James Anderson

Saqib Mahmood has been added to England’s squad for the second Test against India at Lord’s.

The Lancashire seamer’s call-up as cover follows a calf injury suffered by Stuart Broad in a warmup on Tuesday, which left him unable to take part in training in the afternoon, and a quad niggle to James Anderson.

Mahmood has seen his stock markedly rise over the course of this summer, having impressed as the leader of the attack against Pakistan when a Covid-19 outbreak among Eoin Morgan’s ODI group forced England to select an entirely new squad for the series.

He ended as the leading wicket-taker, claiming nine in three games as England pulled off an unlikely whitewash.

England’s seam options have been affected in recent weeks by injuries to Jofra Archer and Chris Woakes, as well as Ben Stokes’ absence, while Broad’s tweaked muscle has rendered him doubtful at a ground where he has taken 95 Test wickets. Broad, James Anderson, Ollie Robinson and Sam Curran all played at Trent Bridge in the first Test, with Mark Wood and Craig Overton the spare seamers.

Meanwhile, Dom Bess has returned to Yorkshire following the call-up on Tuesday of Moeen Ali, which briefly left England with three spinners in an 18-man squad.

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