Jofra Archer has been named in England’s squad for the T20 World Cup despite missing the last two Ashes Tests.

The pace bowler is continuing to recover from a side strain and has been included in a provisional 15-man party for the tournament in India and Sri Lanka in February and March.

Jamie Smith misses out on the World Cup and the preceding tour of Sri Lanka after a difficult Ashes series, and there is no place for Jordan Cox.

Pace bowler Josh Tongue, who has never played a white-ball international for England, is rewarded for his Ashes performances with inclusion in the World Cup squad.

After England were beaten in the first three Tests against Australia to lose the Ashes series at the earliest opportunity, the World Cup would potentially give another indication to the futures of head coach Brendon McCullum and director of cricket Rob Key.

England play three one-day internationals and three T20s in Sri Lanka in the build-up to the World Cup, which they begin against Nepal in Mumbai on 8 February.

The ODIs are important in England’s bid to qualify automatically for the 50-over World Cup in 2027. The top nine in the rankings will secure a place in the tournament in southern Africa and England currently lie eighth.

Despite the tight turnaround from the Ashes, captain Harry Brook leads a full-strength squad. England leave Australia after the fifth Test on 9 January and fly to Sri Lanka to 18 January. The first ODI is on 22 January.

Brook, Archer, Tongue, Joe Root, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley and Will Jacks have all been involved in the Ashes and are in line to play some part in England’s white-ball matches in the new year.

Archer, 30, is England’s premier white-ball pace bowler. After impressing in the Ashes, he was ruled out of the series because of the side injury he sustained in the third Test in Adelaide.

England believe he is on track to recover in time for the World Cup, but he is not in the squad for the ODIs and T20s in Sri Lanka. Carse provides cover for that tour.

England squad for ODIs in Sri Lanka: Harry Brook, Rehan Ahmed, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Luke Wood.

England squad for T20s in Sri Lanka and World Cup: Harry Brook, Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer (World Cup only), Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler, Brydon Carse (Sri Lanka tour only), Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Josh Tongue, Luke Wood.

Smith has been England’s one-day opener in their past nine matches, though has not played a T20 since June. The 25-year-old struggled in the one-dayers in New Zealand that preceded the Ashes, then has managed only one half-century in eight innings in Australia.

In contrast, 28-year-old Tongue has been England’s breakout star of the Ashes, claiming 12 wickets in his two Tests. He is in the squad for the T20s and not the ODIs.

Cox, the leading run-scorer in last year’s Hundred, can feel unfortunate to miss out. Tom Banton gets the nod as middle-order batting cover.

Duckett is in both squads despite a difficult Ashes and looks set to bring his Test opening partnership with Crawley to one-day internationals as England look for a combination that can build towards the 50-over World Cup.

Crawley has played eight one-day internationals, the last of which in West Indies in December 2023 was also his last List A game.

Root, who turns 35 on Tuesday, would have been a potential candidate to rest after the Ashes, yet travels to Sri Lanka for the ODIs only. His next cricket would then likely come in the home summer.

All-rounder Jacks missed the tour of New Zealand as he recovered from a broken finger and returns to both squads as one of a number of spin options in the subcontinental conditions.

Jacks joins Adil Rashid, Liam Dawson, Rehan Ahmed and Bethell in the slow-bowling ranks.

Along with Nepal, England join West Indies, Bangladesh and tournament debutants Italy in Group C of the T20 World Cup. All of their matches take place in Kolkata and Mumbai.

If Brook’s men finish in the top two, they would progress to a second-round group that could include New Zealand, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The top two from that group advance to the semi-finals.

Source: BBC 

--Agencies