The England team will be without their speedster Olly Stone following the conclusion of the first Test against Pakistan in Multan.
Olly Stone to fly back to England for wedding amidst Test series against Pakistan
According to an ESPNCricinfo report, Stone is getting married this weekend and will be leaving the team on Wednesday, October 9. While the exact date of his wedding has not been confirmed, it is highly unlikely that Stone will be able to return in time for the second Test, which is scheduled to begin on Tuesday of next week at the Rawalpindi International Cricket Stadium.
The 30-year-old England pacer was not included in the England XI for the first Test against Pakistan, as the Ollie Pope-led side opted to give the debut cap to Brydon Carse. As a result, Stone will return home earlier than planned for his wedding. Reports suggest that the England management is supportive of Stone leaving Pakistan for his wedding. Since he was not part of the latest batch of central contracts and had arranged his wedding long before his recall, the ECB has no objections to his departure. Moreover Stone reportedly discussed his situation with Rob Key and Brendon McCullum—England's managing director and coach, respectively—prior to the tour. They agreed that he should return home to get married.
Before the Test series, Stone mentioned that their wedding was planned with the expectation that he would be playing for Notts. He noted that his wife was on board with everything he proposed, and he expressed his commitment to making it work for her.
"We booked the wedding on the basis of me only playing for Notts at the time. Jess said she was happy to move the wedding and I was adamant on keeping it where it was if possible. For what she has given up and sacrificed for me, I thought the least I could do was to try and make it work," Stone told BBC.
Former England captain Joe Root also expressed his excitement for Olly Stone's upcoming wedding. He acknowledged that it's a special time in anyone's life and wished Stone well.
"It's a special time in anyone's life. I'm really excited for him. I'm sure he is all over the place with everything that's going on, but it'll be very special for him - and his wife - starting a different chapter in his life. We'll all be raising a cold water to him at some point, celebrating," Root had said.
Stone's departure from the England team due to his wedding will leave a void in their bowling attack. Prior to this, Stone had taken seven wickets in two Test matches against Sri Lanka. With Stone unavailable, England will have to rely on Brydon Carse, Gus Atkinson, Chris Woakes, and Matthew Potts as their other fast bowling options for the second Test against Pakistan.
