The Sports Guru
England already reshuffled their top order once this summer to cover for Ben Stokes's retirement and Jacob Bethell's injury. Now a shoulder problem for opener Emilio Gay threatens to force a second reshuffle before the Pakistan series even starts. This article explains what happened to Gay, who England could turn to if he isn't fit, and why the answer to that question looks less straightforward than it should.
England's selectors are one shoulder scan away from a genuine opening problem. Emilio Gay, the left-hander who made his Test debut in June and played all three matches against New Zealand, retired hurt with a shoulder injury while playing for Durham against Middlesex in a One-Day Cup game on Friday. He had a scan on Saturday, and England say they are hopeful he will be fit for the first Test against Pakistan on 19 August. Hopeful is the operative word. Nothing about this situation is confirmed, and the squad England have assembled behind Gay does not contain another specialist opener.
A Scan That Could Reshape the Top Order
Gay will be assessed this week at Beckenham, the ground where Pakistan play a four-day warm-up fixture against a Professional County Club Select XI starting on Wednesday. He will work alongside England's medical staff during that game but will not take part in it himself. It is a low-key setting for a decision that carries real weight: whether the 27-year-old who has held down the opener's spot since his debut is fit to keep it for the start of a three-Test series against Pakistan.
Already Reshuffling Before Gay's Injury
England were rebuilding their batting order even before Gay's shoulder gave way. Former captain Ben Stokes has retired, and Jacob Bethell will miss the entire three-Test series with a knee injury. Jordan Cox moves up to fill Bethell's place at number three, while Dan Lawrence shifts to number six and will also bowl off-spin, part of what amounts to England's first attempt to balance a team without Stokes in it. Two changes to the middle order were already locked in. A third, at the top, would leave England assembling a batting line-up almost entirely from scratch inside a fortnight.
The Bench Has No Specialist Opener
What stands out is what England have not done. They have called no further batters into the squad as direct cover for Gay. Ollie Pope is already there as a reserve batter and wicketkeeper, but he is not a specialist opener. If Gay is ruled out, the internal options are imperfect: Pope moving into an unfamiliar role, Lawrence returning to a position where his previous stint as a Test opener did not work out, or Cox stepping in, even though he is needed at three and his opening experience has come in first-class rather than Test cricket. Beyond the squad, the names being discussed are a recall for Surrey's Dom Sibley and uncapped call-ups for Durham's Ben McKinney or Glamorgan's Asa Tribe. None of that is confirmed selection - it is simply the shape of the available pool, and it is not a deep one.
New Leadership, No Settled Coaching Team
The uncertainty over Gay lands amid wider change in the England set-up. Joe Root returns as full-time captain, doing so at Headingley, his home ground. Marcus Trescothick will act as interim head coach for the series, with Stephen Fleming taking over for the winter tour of South Africa. Fleming is scheduled to arrive in the UK in September, and there is no clarification on whether he will be in the country before the Pakistan series finishes. A team already adjusting to a new captain and a caretaker coach can ill afford a third unresolved question at the top of the order.
Gay's fitness update this week may end up shaping England's series more than anything that happens in the Beckenham warm-up itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Gay retired hurt with a shoulder problem while playing for Durham against Middlesex in a One-Day Cup match on Friday, and had a scan the following day.
He will be assessed this week at Beckenham, where Pakistan play a four-day warm-up game from Wednesday, though he will not play in that fixture. The first Test starts on 19 August.
England have not called in specific cover. Options within the squad include Ollie Pope, who is not a specialist opener, Dan Lawrence, who previously had an unsuccessful spell as a Test opener, or Jordan Cox, who has opened in first-class cricket but not in Tests. Outside the squad, a recall for Dom Sibley or uncapped call-ups for Ben McKinney or Asa Tribe have been mentioned as possibilities.
Ben Stokes has retired as captain, and Jacob Bethell will miss the series with a knee injury. Jordan Cox takes Bethell's place at number three, and Dan Lawrence moves to number six and will bowl off-spin.
Joe Root returns as full-time captain. Marcus Trescothick is interim head coach for the series, with Stephen Fleming due to take over for the winter tour of South Africa.
Research: This article uses the archived evidence supplied for this story. Story inspiration: BBC Sport's original report.