Dom Bess leaves England squad, Saqib Mahmood added as cover for second Test against India
Saqib Mahmood has been called up as cover for Stuart Broad, who sat out Tuesday's net session at Lord's with discomfort in his right calf; Dom Bess has left the squad and will return to Yorkshire; England face India in the second Test at Lord's on Thursday, live on Sky Sports
Wednesday 11 August 2021 11:40, UK
Dom Bess has left England's squad for the second Test against India on Thursday, with seamer Saqib Mahmood called up as cover for Stuart Broad.
Broad is a doubt for the match after sitting out Tuesday's net session at Lord's with discomfort in his calf.
The Nottinghamshire bowler will be assessed by medics before a final decision is made over his availability for what would be his 150th Test.
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Mahmood impressed for England in their recent one-day and T20 series wins over Pakistan and the Lancashire bowler has now been rewarded with a call up to the Test squad as cover for Broad.
He is the second player to join up with the group in recent days after Moeen Ali, who was recalled to the Test squad for the first time in six months on Tuesday.
With Mahmood and Moeen in camp, England have opted to release spinner Dom Bess from the squad.
The spinner was not named in the playing XI for the first Test in Nottingham, which ended in a draw.
He will now rejoin Yorkshire and could play in their Royal London Cup match at Glamorgan on Thursday.
England, India docked WTC points for slow over rates
England and India have been fined 40 per cent of their match fees and penalised two World Test Championship points each for maintaining slow over rates in the first Test in Nottingham.
Both sides had received four points each after the draw at Trent Bridge. However, these was later halved after both teams were ruled to be two overs short of their targets by match referee Chris Broad.
Both sets of players were also fined 40 per cent of their match fees - losing 20 per cent for each over their side failed to bowl in the allotted time.
Captains Joe Root and Virat Kohli both pleaded guilty and accepted the sanctions.
Earlier this year, Australia missed out on a place in the inaugural World Test Championship final after being docked points for a slow over rate in the Boxing Day Test against India.
Australia were penalised four points - a penalty which allowed New Zealand to finish narrowly above them in the final standings.
