London [UK], September 14 (ANI): England fast bowler Saqib Mahmood has been ruled out of the upcoming T20I series against Ireland and the white-ball tour of New Zealand in October due to a knee injury that requires minor surgery.

Hampshire and Scotland seamer Scott Currie has been named as his replacement for the Ireland series, where England will play three T20Is on September 17, 19, and 21, as per ESPNcricinfo.

England will play three T20Is against Ireland at Malahide on September 17, 19, and 21, with Jacob Bethell set to lead the team in his first T20I captaincy role. The squad will be without several key players ahead of the Ashes series this winter.

In a statement, the ECB confirmed that Mahmood was set to undergo 'minor knee surgery' to correct the issue.

This injury is another setback for Mahmood, who has struggled with fitness issues throughout his career, including stress fractures in his back.

Currie, meanwhile, has impressed with his performances in the T20 Blast 2025, finishing as the second-highest wicket-taker with 27 wickets at an average of 19.33. He'll be looking to make a strong impression in his maiden call-up to the England squad.

Mahmood's recent England performances included nine wickets at 10.55 on the T20I tour of the Caribbean in November last year, as well as a starring role in the 3-0 ODI series win over the same opponents in June.

Most recently, he was part of Oval Invincibles' three-peat-winning team in the Men's Hundred, claiming the final wicket of the final against Trent Rockets.

Scott Currie, 24, has been called up to the England squad, 18 months after featuring in three ODIs for Scotland in the World Cricket League Division 2 in Dubai. Given Scotland's failure to qualify for the T20 World Cup, Currie's switch to England appears to have ended his international ambitions with the country of his father's birth. (ANI)