Zak Crawley ruled out of The Hundred 2024 due to injury

England opener Zak Crawley has been ruled out of The Hundred 2024 after suffering a broken finger during the third Test against the West Indies. 

Crawley injured his finger while fielding at slips in the West Indies' second innings. He was quickly taken to the hospital for an X-ray, which confirmed a fracture. The full details of the injury are still pending, and it’s yet to be decided if surgery will be necessary.

With Crawley sidelined, England captain Ben Stokes stepped up to open the innings with Ben Duckett. Together, they led England to an easy victory, chasing down a target of 87 runs in just 7.2 overs without losing a wicket. This win completed a 3-0 series whitewash for England against the West Indies.

Crawley's absence is a blow for the London Spirit in The Hundred, who have started the tournament with two losses. To fill his spot, the team has signed Keaton Jennings. Jennings may also take Crawley’s place at the top of the order for the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka.

England is also considering bringing in Dan Lawrence as a potential partner for Duckett at the top of the order. Lawrence, who has been with the England squad recently but hasn’t played a Test since March 2022, was on standby for the second Test at Trent Bridge when Duckett was preparing for the birth of his second child.

Despite a solid start to the West Indies series with a knock of 76 runs at Lord's, Crawley’s performance dipped, and he ended the series with just 97 runs from four innings.