Why is Foakes not keeping wicket: What happened to Ben Foakes? Sam Billings cricket Covid sub

Why is Foakes not keeping wicket today: The English wicket-keeper batter won’t be taking any further part in the ongoing match.

During the fourth day of the third Test of the ongoing New Zealand’s tour of England at Headingley, England wicket-keeper batter Ben Foakes continues to be absent from the ground after missing the whole of Day 3 yesterday.

Foakes, 29, had missed action on Saturday after complaining of back stiffness in the morning. Foakes, who was sent back to the team hotel after the lunch break, was replaced by Jonny Bairstow for wicket-keeping duties.

Why is Ben Foakes not keeping wicket on Day 4?

It was before the start of play on Day 4 that ECB (England Cricket Board) announced Foakes’ testing positive for COVID-19. As a result, he will take no further part in this match.

“Foakes was unable to keep wicket yesterday on day three of the Third LV= Insurance Test at Headingley suffering from back stiffness. On a further medical assessment yesterday evening, he subsequently tested positive after administering an LFT COVID-19 test,” ECB said in an official statement earlier in the day.

Kent wicket-keeper batter Sam Billings, who had made his Test debut against Australia in Hobart earlier this year, has been named as a rare COVID substitute for Foakes.

Having scored 43* (33) in a match-winning effort for Kent against Sussex in a Vitality T20 Blast match in Canterbury as recent as this Friday, Billings is currently keeping wickets for England in Leeds.

Following India captain Rohit Sharma, Foakes has become the second player to return a positive COVID-19 Test facing a race against time to recover ahead of the one-off England vs India Test match in Birmingham from July 1. Having said that, ECB have expressed confidence in Foakes recovering in time to play against India on Friday.