11 March,2014 11:17 PM IST | | AFP
England batsman Joe Root will miss the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh and be replaced by Ian Bell, the International Cricket Council announced on Monday
London: England batsman Joe Root will miss the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh and be replaced by Ian Bell, the International Cricket Council announced on Monday.
Rising Yorkshire star Root, 23, broke his thumb batting against the West Indies in last week's one-day international in Antigua and England officials have decided he will not recover in time for the World Twenty20, which starts on Sunday.
Joe Root. Pic/AFP
Bell, who replaced Root in the Caribbean, has now been granted approval by the ICC to be included in the England squad.
"The ICC has confirmed that the Event Technical Committee of the ICC World Twenty20 Bangladesh 2014 has approved Ian Bell as a replacement player for Joe Root in the England men's squad for the tournament that will be staged in Bangladesh from 16 March to 6 April," a statement from the global governing body said.
Bell has represented England in seven Twenty20 internationals, in which he has scored 175 runs at an average of just under 30.
England's opening World Twenty20 group match is against New Zealand on March 20.
Before then they conclude a three-match series against reigning World Twenty20 champions the West Indies in Barbados with fixtures on Tuesday and Thursday.
England lost the first match of the series, also at Barbados' Kensington Oval, by 27 runs on Sunday.
Stuart Broad, England's Twenty20 captain, will miss the remainder of the West Indies series after suffering a knee injury but the fast bowling all-rounder said Sunday he expected to be fully recovered in time for Bangladesh.
