Zafar Ansari sustains thumb dislocation only hours after being named in England squad

Zafar Ansari leaving the field after sustaining the injury on Tuesday

23-year-old Zafar Ansari’s life swerved wildly from ecstasy to agony on Tuesday, when he suffered an open dislocation of his left thumb only four hours after he had been named for the first time ever in the English Test squad, as part of the 16-man squad to travel to UAE in October to face Pakistan.

England depart for the UAE on September 30, and the young finger spinner and all-rounder is now in a race against time for his thumb to heal. The injury, having been inflicted on Ansari’s spinning hand, means that he might be completely rested from the tour.

Playing for Surrey against Lancashire at Old Trafford on Tuesday morning, and presumably feeling good about life, Ansari’s life came crashing down when fielding at cover point, he dropped a very difficult catch off Lancashire's Ashwell Prince and immediately gestured for assistance from the dressing room. He left the field holding a bandage to his left hand and was then sent to hospital.

Surrey announced the extent of the injury through a tweet, also adding that it shall be “reviewed over the next couple of days".

Rain on ODI debut

There is no doubt that Ansari has earned his call-up to the national side – being the leading English qualified wicket-taking spin bowler in county cricket this season, as well as having ably opened the innings in 4-day cricket – but it seems fate and the healing power of Ansari’s thumb will have the final say on whether the Pakistani-origin youngster gets his first taste of Test cricket this year.

The youngster, who is currently working on a 40,000-word university dissertation on the origins of African-American armed self-defence and its relationship with the Black Power movement of the 1960s, had similar horrible luck when called up to the ODI side for the first time earlier this year as well.

He made his England debut in May in a one-day international in Ireland - which was rained off after 18 overs before Ansari had the opportunity to bat or bowl

Latest on Zafar Ansari is he has a open dislocation of the left thumb and the injury will be reviewed over the next couple of days

— Surrey Cricket (@surreycricket) September 15, 2015

You have got to feel sorry for Zafar Ansari - what absolutely dreadful luck. He has just under a month until first Test

— Elizabeth Ammon (@legsidelizzy) September 15, 2015