England's Ben Foakes will miss the next month's two-Test series against New Zealand with a hamstring injury from a bizarre dressing room mishap
Foakes' freak injury rules him out of NZ Tests
England wicketkeeper-batsman Ben Foakes has been ruled out of next month's two-Test series against New Zealand after tearing his left hamstring.
Foakes, 28, was set to play in what would have been his first home series before sustaining the injury when he slipped in the dressing room after Surrey's County Championship game against Middlesex.
Foakes, who was wearing socks, slipped on the dressing room floor at The Oval, and is now expected to be sidelined for at least three months.
James Bracey is now due to make his debut behind the stumps at Lord's, with England coach Chris Silverwood, now in charge of England selections after Ed Smith was removed from his post, calling up Kent's uncapped Sam Billings as Foakes's replacement.
Nottinghamshire's top-order batsman Haseeb Hameed has also received a call-up.
England's regular keepers Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow are both being rested following their involvement in the Indian Premier League.
The first New Zealand Test starts on June 2 and the second at Edgbaston on June 10.
Foakes' injury may also rule him out of the start of the five-Test series against India that begins on August 4.
Meanwhile, Jofra Archer has had surgery on a long-standing right elbow injury, and is unlikely to play for England before July.
Archer had the operation on Friday and his recovery will be reviewed by his consultant in four weeks, at which point the bowler will receive further guidance about when he can start bowling again, the England and Wales Cricket Board said on Wednesday.
That time frame means Archer will definitely miss at least the two-match Test series against the Black Caps, the three-match Twenty20 series against Sri Lanka, and is also an unlikely starter for the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan that follows.
England's most high-profile series of the summer comprises five Tests against India starting on August 4.
Archer had to pull out of the Indian Premier League because of the elbow injury and then felt pain in the same area bowling for Sussex in a County Championship match last week.