ENG vs NZ: Jordan Cox ruled out of New Zealand Test series

England's preparation for the first Test against New Zealand suffered a setback as wicketkeeper-batter Jordan Cox was ruled out of the series due to a fractured right thumb sustained during a nets session on Sunday morning. The injury occurred on the final day of England's tour match against the Prime Minister's XI.

The 24-year-old, who was on the verge of making his Test debut, was taken to a local hospital where scans confirmed the extent of the injury. Cox was set to replace Jamie Smith, who is unavailable for the tour due to personal reasons.

England is now in search of a replacement, with Durham's Ollie Robinson emerging as the frontrunner for a maiden call-up. Other potential options include Phil Salt, Michael Pepper, James Rew, and Matty Hurst. However, Jonny Bairstow’s return appears unlikely, as the veteran still has a year remaining on his central contract but has not been involved in red-ball cricket recently.

During the warm-up match, Ollie Pope stepped in behind the stumps for the injured Cox, but England is keen to avoid overloading their No. 3 batter, especially given his underwhelming performance during the Pakistan tour.

England head coach Brendon McCullum expressed his disappointment at the timing of Cox's injury.

"I'm gutted for Jordan (Cox)," Test head coach Brendon McCullum said. "He has been shaping up nicely, both with the bat and gloves, since we got to New Zealand.

"That's sport, and unfortunately, these things happen. We will get around him and look after him. He is resilient, and his time will come at some point in the future."

Cox, who has already made his ODI and T20I debuts in recent months, will remain with the squad in Christchurch before deciding whether to take a break in Australia.

The injury also led to an unusual turn of events on Sunday, with James Anderson taking the field in whites for the first time since his retirement from international cricket four months ago. Anderson stepped in as a substitute fielder alongside captain Ben Stokes, who had opted out of playing the first day's action.

Meanwhile, Jacob Bethell and Rehan Ahmed are set to rejoin the squad in Christchurch on Monday following their white-ball commitments in the Caribbean. England expects to announce Cox's replacement within the next 48 hours as they prepare for the first Test at the Hagley Oval, starting Thursday.