England's Steven Finn during nets at Sophia Gardens yesterday.
London: Steven Finn will replace injured fellow paceman Chris Woakes in England's Champions Trophy squad, the International Cricket Council confirmed yesterday.
Woakes was ruled out of the rest of the 50-over tournament, which features the world's top eight one-day international teams, with a side strain suffered while bowling just two overs at the start of England's opening Group A win over Bangladesh at the Oval on Thursday.
The experienced Finn, 28, will join the England squad ahead of their second match of the tournament, against New Zealand in Cardiff on Tuesday.
"The ICC has confirmed that the event technical committee of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 has approved Steven Finn as a replacement player for Chris Woakes in the England squad for the tournament," said a brief statement from cricket's global governing body.
Finn, a veteran of 69 ODIs, last played for England as recently as Monday when, on his Lord's home ground, he featured in the final match of a one-day series against South Africa while Woakes was being rested with a thigh problem that healed in time for the Champions Trophy.
Middlesex fast bowler Finn was left out of England's original squad for the tournament but could go straight into the XI to play New Zealand, if as happened at the Oval, they pick just the one specialist spinner.
Meanwhile, fFormer Australia fast bowler Craig McDermott has applied for the post of India head coach, which will become vacant after the ongoing Champions Trophy campaign. The Indian cricket board (BCCI) advertised the post last month, while maintaining that incumbent Anil Kumble would be considered for a contract extension after the team recorded just one defeat in 17 tests since he took over in June last year.
McDermott, who played 71 tests for Australia between 1984 and 1996 and was his country's full-time bowling coach from the 2013-14 Ashes series to last year's World T20, said he had submitted an application.
"I have had aspirations for a while to be a head coach," he told www.sportstarlive.com.
"I was away from cricket coaching for a year, and now, I want to come back to it. It would be nice to serve Indian cricket," he said.
