England’s left-arm spinner Jack Leach is set to make his cricketing comeback nearly after a year and will be seen in action on Friday when Somerset faces Kent in the ongoing County Championship 2024.
Leach suffered a knee injury during the first day of England’s Test series opener against India in Hyderabad earlier this year.
While attempting to stop a boundary, Leach injured himself which forced him to miss the remaining matches of the series and was sent back home for the surgery. He also missed the Ashes last summer because of a stress fracture in his back.
While ECB named off-spinner Moeen Ali as the replacement for Jack Leach in the Ashes 2023 Squad for the first 2 Tests.
Leach last played for Somerset in May 2023 in a County Championship match against Middlesex, although he has played two matches for Somerset seconds this spring as he returned to fitness.
“Having Leachy back in the squad is a big boost for the group, but also for him. It’s been a tough road back for him and he’s worked incredibly hard. He’s an infectious character and he’s got vast experience.”
“He’s incredibly well respected and we saw today in practice that he’s always got time for people. We’re all looking forward to seeing him back in a Somerset shirt and enjoying his cricket, and we’ll make a decision on whether that is this weekend or tomorrow,” said Somerset head coach Jason Kerr to the side’s official website.
Irrespective of his unavailability for nearly a year, ECB have included Jack Leach in their Central Contract 2023-24 and handed him a One-Year Central Contract.
Jack Leach has played 139 First class games and bagged 434 wickets at an economy of 2.78 which includes 19 four-wicket hauls, 26 fifers and four 10-wicket hauls. Notably, Jack Leach is yet to make his white-ball debut for the England cricket team.
Somerset will face Kent to play the 29th match of the County Championship Division One 2024 between May 17 and 20 in The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton.
