“It’s Tongue, spelled T-U-N-G, not like T-O-N-G! Is that what people think?”
Josh Tongue finds himself in the playroom of his three-year-old son, but it’s not his child he’s settling down for the night. The 28-year-old cricketer has noticed various commentators struggling with the pronunciation of his last name since he made his Test debut in 2023. Many have mispronounced it, leading to some amusing confusion.
Tongue has been refreshingly open and genuinely grounded throughout our discussion, yet I approach the final topic with care. Standing at 6 feet 4 inches tall and capable of bowling over 90 mph, he certainly commands respect. Could it be akin to the debate over how to pronounce “scone”?
“Nope – it’s T-U-N-G,” he chuckles. Commentators should take note for future matches when the Nottinghamshire and England fast bowler is in action, which is often the case.
Alongside Jacob Bethell’s impressive maiden Test century and Joe Root’s notable performances in the Ashes series abroad, Tongue’s wicket-taking ability was one of England’s few bright spots following a challenging Ashes campaign. After being introduced for the third Test with England trailing 2-0, he concluded the series with an impressive tally of 18 wickets over three matches. On Boxing Day in Melbourne, he achieved a five-wicket haul before a record crowd of 94,199 at the MCG, with his family present.
England went on to secure their first Test victory on Australian soil since 2011, with Tongue earning the title of player of the match, making him the first England fast bowler to achieve this in an Australian Test since Dean Headley in 1998.
Now, a few months later, Tongue is eager to embark on the next phase of a career marked by both significant highs and challenging lows, including injuries and remarkable wickets. He expresses excitement as the domestic cricket season begins, although he missed Nottinghamshire’s opening match of their title defense while working on his fitness for what could be a pivotal summer.
Did it frustrate him not to play? “When it comes to selection, I’m pretty laid-back. I don’t get upset if I’m not playing. I always think being part of the squad and gaining experience in both formats will benefit me,” he says.
Tongue possesses a calm, reflective demeanor, indicating a man who has faced challenges. His physical struggles have offered him valuable perspective. In 2022, he dealt with thoracic outlet syndrome, a condition causing nerve and blood vessel compression that resulted in pain and numbness in his arms and fingers, leading him to consider early retirement in his mid-20s.
Before resorting to such drastic measures, the same specialist proposed Botox injections to relax the muscles and relieve the compression. “I was back bowling in about two to three weeks and played for Worcestershire at the end of that summer. Six months later, I made my Test debut for England,” Tongue recalls, still astonished.
However, injuries continued to plague him. A ruptured pectoral muscle and torn hamstring sidelined him for the entire 2024 season with his new club, Nottinghamshire. “At the end-of-season gathering, I felt quite emotional and approached Peter Moores [the head coach] to apologize for not being able to play for him yet. He quickly reassured me, saying, ‘I don’t want to hear you apologize for being injured again. It’s unfortunate, but we’ll get you right.’ He’s an excellent man-manager,” Tongue shares.
Before I can finish my next question, he expresses similar admiration for Brendon McCullum. “I’m fortunate to work with two coaches who make you feel invincible and eager to perform. They’ve both instilled a great deal of confidence in me.” This confidence drives Tongue’s ambition to elevate his Test career further. “My aspiration is to become England’s opening bowler. That’s my current focus.”
Despite calls for him to take the new ball during the Ashes, Tongue was instead employed as a first change bowler, noted for his skill with a lacquer-less ball. He has even earned the nickname “The Mop” in county cricket for his talent in dismissing lower-order batsmen, though he has developed a taste for challenging top-order players.
Just ask Steve Smith, whom Tongue has dismissed multiple times, including five times in just seven first-class innings. How does he feel about having the upper hand over one of the game’s all-time greats? “Well, he’s scored plenty of runs against us too [Smith averages in the teens against Tongue], but it’s incredible. He was a player I grew up watching, and sometimes I think, ‘Wow, I just got Steve Smith out… again.’”
