Father: Phil Tongue, Wife: Naomi Tongue
Josh Tongue is a right-arm fast-medium bowler who has overcome significant injury setbacks to establish himself as a promising England Test prospect. The 28-year-old from Worcestershire burst onto the scene with an outstanding debut season in 2017, taking 47 Championship wickets and earning a place in the England Lions squad. However, a nerve problem in his right shoulder requiring two surgeries and botox injections left him in a “really dark place” during a 15-month lay-off that threatened to end his career. His resilience paid off when he made his Test debut against Ireland at Lord’s in 2023, impressing coach Brendon McCullum with his pace, bounce, and attitude, and later featuring in that summer’s Ashes Test at the same venue. Further injuries delayed his progress, but he returned strongly in 2025 to play a crucial role in Nottinghamshire’s County Championship title win, delivering a decisive five-wicket haul to dethrone Surrey at The Oval. With a high, easy action generating sharp pace and bounce, Tongue remains one of England’s most exciting fast-bowling talents.
| Bowling | |||||||||||||
| Format | Mat | Inns | Balls | Runs | Wkts | BBI | BBM | Ave | Econ | SR | 4w | 5w | 10w |
| Tests | 9 | 18 | 1952 | 1292 | 49 | 5/45 | 8/182 | 26.36 | 3.97 | 39.8 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| FC | 69 | 121 | 11517 | 6816 | 262 | 6/97 | 9/98 | 26.01 | 3.55 | 43.9 | 11 | 15 | 0 |
| List A | 15 | 15 | 631 | 728 | 16 | 2/35 | 2/35 | 45.50 | 6.92 | 39.4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| T20s | 21 | 21 | 365 | 552 | 29 | 3/21 | 3/21 | 19.03 | 9.07 | 12.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Batting & Fielding | |||||||||||||
| Format | Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | BF | SR | 100s | 50s | 4s | 6s | Ct |
| Tests | 9 | 12 | 3 | 48 | 19 | 5.33 | 138 | 34.78 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| FC | 69 | 89 | 24 | 899 | 55 | 13.83 | 1927 | 46.65 | 0 | 1 | 115 | 0 | 13 |
| List A | 15 | 8 | 3 | 99 | 34 | 19.80 | 96 | 103.12 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 3 |
| T20s | 21 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 2* | 7.00 | 10 | 70.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
He is a right-arm fast-medium bowler known for generating sharp pace and bounce from a high, easy action.
He was born on November 15, 1997, making him 28 years old.
He is a capable lower-order batsman, having scored 150 in the Birmingham League, demonstrating his all-round cricketing ability.
McCullum was impressed with his pace, bounce, and attitude, which earned him a place in the Ashes squad in 2023.
Yes, his father is a cricket coach, and his brother, RB Tongue, also has a connection to the sport. He first represented the Worcestershire U10 side at the age of just six.
