Josh Tongue

An outstanding debut season in 2017 saw Josh Tongue, then aged just 19, announce himself as one of the outstanding fast bowling prospects in English cricket. Six years later, he duly made his Test debut against Ireland at Lord's, after arriving in the squad as injury cover ahead of the Ashes, and also featured in that summer's Ashes Test at the same venue, having impressed coach Brendon McCullum with his pace, bounce and attitude.

It hadn't been a simple route from A to B, however. One year earlier, Tongue had been midway through a 15-month lay-off that he feared might end his career before it had started. A nerve problem in his right shoulder, called thoracic outlet syndrome, required two surgeries and botox injections to rectify, and left him in a "really dark place". But a successful winter with England Lions in Sri Lanka placed him back on the radar, and paved the way for his call-up.

Further injury issues delayed Tongue's progress after that initial Test breakthrough. A ruptured pectoral muscle, then a torn hamstring, ruled him out of the 2024 season - which should have been his first for his new county, Nottinghamshire - but he made up for lost time in 2025. A successful return to the Test team was followed by a crucial role in Notts' County Championship title win, with Tongue delivering a decisive five-wicket haul to dethrone Surrey at The Oval.

Tongue's career had begun at Worcestershire, for whom he played huge role in their promotion from Division Two in his debut season in 2017. He went on to make his England U19 Test debut in that same summer, and won a place in the England Lions squad to Australia. After taking a five-wicket haul on Championship debut against Glamorgan at the start of April (he had previously played one first-class game against Oxford MCCU in 2016), he kept his place for the entire campaign and finished with 47 Championship wickets. Central to that success was his sharp pace and bounce generated from a high, easy action.

With a cricket coach for a father, Tongue first represented the Worcestershire U10 side when he was aged just six and progressed through every stage of the club's youth system. A good enough batsman to have scored 150 in the Birmingham League, his progress was delayed by a stress fracture of the back that necessitated surgery during the 2016 season. Having proved his recovery, Tongue signed a new four-year contract with Worcestershire (lasting until the end of 2021) in July 2017. A stress fracture in his left foot interrupted his progress in 2018 and ruled him out of an England Lions tour to the UAE to face Pakistan.
ESPNcricinfo staff