Daijiworld Media Network - Perth

Perth, Nov 7: England fast bowler Josh Tongue has been ruled out of the upcoming three-match ODI series against Australia due to a toe injury, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced on Saturday.

“Josh Tongue has been ruled out of England Men’s white-ball tour of Australia due to a toe injury. He will return to the UK to undergo further assessment,” the ECB said in a post on its social media handles.

England are yet to name a replacement for Tongue, with the opening ODI scheduled to be played at Perth Stadium on November 13.

Tongue's withdrawal leaves England short of a pace bowling option for the series. Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Sonny Baker, Henry Crocombe and Jamie Overton are now the main fast-bowling options available to captain Harry Brook.

The 28-year-old had earlier been left out of the five-match T20I series that follows the ODI leg as part of England's workload management plans ahead of their Test tour of South Africa next month.

Tongue was last in action during the ODI tri-series match in Rawalpindi, where he conceded 79 runs while taking three wickets as Sri Lanka pulled off a remarkable chase of 430 against England.

A regular member of England's Test side over the past year, Tongue made his ODI and T20I debuts this year. He also featured in two home ODIs against Sri Lanka in September following an impressive Test series against Pakistan, in which he claimed 19 wickets in three matches.

England began their white-ball tour of Australia on a positive note, winning a 50-over warm-up match at the WACA Stadium in Perth on Saturday.

Following the white-ball assignments, England will travel to South Africa for a three-match Test series. They are scheduled to play a warm-up fixture in Durban from December 9 to 11, before the opening Test begins in Johannesburg on December 17.

England ODI squad: Harry Brook (captain), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Sonny Baker, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jordan Cox, Henry Crocombe, Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid and Joe Root.