Archer named in England squad for T20 World Cup

LONDON: England fast bowler Jofra Archer has been named in a 15-man provisional squad for the ICC T20 World Cup after recovering from a long-standing elbow injury.

The 29-year-old has not played for England for a year but his return for the tournament in June in the Caribbean and United States will be a boost for the reigning champions.

Lancashire’s left-arm spinning all-rounder Tom Hartley is the only uncapped player in the squad while Surrey batsman Will Jacks has not featured before in an ICC World Cup. There was no place, however, for all-rounder Chris Woakes, who was part of England’s T20 and ODI World Cup-winning teams, while batsman Dawid Malan is also omitted. As well as Archer, fellow fast bowler Chris Jordan, who played in the final against Pakistan in 2022, is also included.

England will prepare for the tournament with a four-match T20 series against Pakistan starting at Headingley on May 22. They kick off their tournament against Scotland in Barbados on June 4.England’s opening match is against Scotland on June 4 at Kensington Oval in Barbados.

Also in the 15-man squad were Jonny Bairstow and Will Jacks, who have hit big knocks in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in recent weeks. Left-arm spinning all-rounder Tom Hartley is the sole uncapped player in the group.

England will be captained by Jos Buttler, with the team seeking a third T20 World Cup title. Squad: Jos Buttler (captain), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonathan Bairstow, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, Tom Hartley, Will Jacks, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Reece Topley, Mark Wood.