BBL Draft top pick sidelined with injury

Liam Livingstone has emerged as England's latest injury doubt for a busy period which includes the T20 World Cup after the big-hitting allrounder was ruled out of the rest of The Hundred because of an ankle injury.

Shortly after Livingstone was selected by the Melbourne Renegades as the No.1 pick at the inaugural BBL Draft, his Hundred franchise the Birmingham Phoenix announced that Livingstone, the top run scorer and most valuable player in last year's season, will miss their final two group games of the season plus any knockout ties.

"Gutted to have been ruled out of @thehundred... a tournament I have loved playing in!" said Livingstone on Twitter.

"I'll be doing everything I can to be back out there ASAP! But for now I'll be supporting Birmingham Phoenix from the side!"

The extent of his injury is as yet unclear as Livingstone was assessed by England's medics on Sunday, but there are just three and a half weeks until they begin a T20 series against Pakistan in Karachi.

England white-ball captain Jos Buttler has also conceded that he too is unlikely to feature in all seven fixtures as his side ramp up preparations for the T20 World Cup which starts in less than two months' time.

Buttler is currently nursing a calf injury, which, like Livingstone, led to him pulling out of The Hundred.

A back spasm saw Jason Roy withdraw from Oval Invincibles' win over London Spirit on Saturday, giving England another potential headache as they prepare to announce the squad to tour Pakistan next week.

Fast bowlers Chris Jordan (finger) and Tymal Mills (toe) – selected for returns to the Sydney Sixers and Perth Scorchers respectively in Sunday's BBL Draft, have recently suffered injuries while fellow quicks Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, Chris Woakes and Saqib Mahmood are long-term absentees.

An escalating injury list could offer an opportunity for Will Jacks, who is leading the chase for a maiden call-up for the Pakistan series after stellar showings in the T20 Blast and The Hundred.

Craig Flindall, Birmingham Phoenix general manager, said: "We're disappointed to lose Liam, not just for his performances on the pitch, but also his leadership within the group.

"While Liam will be a miss, it's an exciting opportunity for other players to show what they can do as we look to reach the final stages of the competition."

The KFC BBL|12 season starts on December 13, with Livingstone set for the Renegades' season opener two days later against the Brisbane Heat, who took Sam Billings with their first round draft selection.