Rankin out of Ireland squad

Boyd Rankin has been forced to pull out of the Ireland squad to tour Sri Lanka.

Warwickshire seamer Rankin, one of Ireland’s most talented bowlers, has been diagnosed with a stress fracture of the right foot and will not now link-up with his team-mates next week.

Rankin said: “I am wearing a protective cast. It’s not broken but it needs to be rested for four or five days. It was picked up by the physios and doctors at an ECB training camp in Loughborough earlier this week.

“We’ll see where we are then depending on how sore it is. I’ve been told it could take between two or three weeks to fully heal, but we’ll know more when I get it checked out again next week at Warwickshire, where I’ll be doing my rehabilitation.”

Twice-capped Civil Service North all-rounder Nigel Jones has been called in as Rankin’s replacement.

During the tour Ireland will play Afghanistan in a four-day Intercontinental Cup fixture from January 21-24, before a T20 tournament also featuring Sri Lanka A and Canada.