Ben Foakes called up for Ireland ODI after Billings shoulder injury

Ben Foakes is set to make his England white-ball debut in Dublin next week, after being called up for the one-off Ireland ODI as a replacement for Sam Billings, who suffered a dislocated left shoulder while fielding for Kent against Glamorgan on Thursday.

Foakes, whose 71 from 80 balls for Surrey against Middlesex on Thursday was his third half-century in consecutive Royal London Cup games, is also set to keep wicket in the T20I against Pakistan in Cardiff on May 5, in the absence of England's first-choice keepers, Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow, who are being rested after their stints in the IPL.

His inclusion comes after a cruelly timed injury for Billings, one that has ruled him out for much of the season and ended his own chances of playing a part in England's World Cup campaign.

Although Billings had not been named in England's provisional 15-man squad for the World Cup, which gets underway in just over a month's time, he had seemingly put himself at the head of the queue of batting reserves, should anything befall the men ahead of him in the pecking order between now and the climax of the tournament on July 14.

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Instead, having played just once for Chennai Super Kings in this year's IPL (and scored a duck in that solitary outing), Billings' start to the English season lasted just a matter of minutes.

Fielding at mid-off in Harry Podmore's opening over in Cardiff, he dived to intercept a drive from Glamorgan's Australia allrounder, Marnus Labuschagne, and landed awkwardly on his left shoulder.

In obvious pain, Billings was left prone on the outfield for several minutes, and treated with oxygen before being helped from the field.

He was taken to hospital, where the shoulder was relocated, and underwent scans after seeing a specialist on Friday. Billings was under no illusions about the extent of his injury when he returned to Sophia Gardens after the incident.

"Without a doubt, it's the most painful thing I've experienced," he told BBC Radio Kent. "An hour and 20 minutes with your shoulder not back in its right place isn't a great time for anyone."

Opportunity knocks, however, for Foakes, who was Man of the Series on his maiden Test tour of Sri Lanka last year after being called up - again as an injury replacement - after Bairstow turned his ankle playing football.

Speaking ahead of the announcement, Surrey's coach, Michael di Venuto, admitted that Foakes' calm, accumulative approach meant that he didn't stand out in the way of some of his rivals in white-ball cricket, but said that his one-day county performances over the past three years would fully merit an England call-up.

"I think he averaged 91 here [at the Kia Oval], he averaged 60 last year, he's doing the same this year," said di Venuto. "In white-ball cricket he's probably one of the form players in the country, it's just unfortunate that England are blessed with batsman-wicketkeepers who do it more explosively than he does."

Billings' injury is one of a number of concerns for England, particularly among their batsmen, as they build towards the World Cup opener against South Africa at The Oval on May 30.

Jason Roy has missed Surrey's last two London Cup games, after suffering a back spasm earlier this week, while Eoin Morgan sat out Middlesex's match at The Oval after complaining of sore shins.

Kent's other England selection, Joe Denly, was not included for the trip to Glamorgan after himself suffering a back spasm while batting against Gloucestershire on Tuesday.

Alex Hales, meanwhile, has been put on indefinite leave by Nottinghamshire for personal reasons, but is expected to link up with the England squad for a pre-season training camp in Cardiff this weekend.