Jofra Archer is expected to be included in England’s squad for June’s T20 World Cup defence with Chris Woakes losing out to Chris Jordan.
Archer has not played competitive cricket for almost a year, having suffered a recurrence of the right elbow injuries that, along with a stress fracture of the back, have troubled him since his breakthrough summer in 2019.
But careful management by England and hard work from Archer mean he is ready for a white-ball return this summer, first in four matches at home against Pakistan, then in the T20 World Cup, which takes in the Caribbean and USA in June. England are due to name their provisional squad on Tuesday morning.
He joins Mark Wood as England’s out and out pace options, with Reece Topley and Sam Curran providing a left-arm angle, and Jordan poised to pip Woakes to the final seam-bowling spot.
Jordan has not played for England since last September and does not have a national contract but is an experienced bowler who provides a lower-order six-hitting option. Like Woakes, Gus Atkinson appears unfortunate to miss out, while his Surrey team-mate Jamie Overton was not considered as he awaits the results of scans on his back.
Adil Rashid and Tom Hartley, who is uncapped in T20 cricket, are expected to be the front-line spin-bowling options, supplemented by a bevy of all-rounders, Will Jacks, Liam Livingstone and Moeen Ali.
Test captain Ben Stokes pulled out of the squad to prioritise his return to all-round status in the longest format, but England will still name a squad full of powerful hitters who are in form at the Indian Premier League. Captain Jos Buttler, Phil Salt, Will Jacks and Jonny Bairstow will likely make up the top four, followed by Harry Brook, who pulled out of the IPL after his grandmother died, at No 5. Jacks and Bairstow scored 41- and 45-ball hundreds this weekend, while Buttler has two centuries for table-topping Rajasthan Royals this season and Salt has been in blistering form at the top of the order for Kolkata Knight Riders.
The need for a left-hander to replace Stokes makes Ben Duckett the likely reserve batsman in the squad. Curran and Moeen could be promoted up the order to attack spin if a left-hander is required.
The squad named on Tuesday will be provisional, and can be changed any time before May 25, the date of the second of the four T20s against Pakistan. Whether every member of the provisional World Cup squad is available throughout the Pakistan series remains to be seen. Buttler’s wife is expecting their third child in the coming weeks which could mean him taking some paternity leave, while the likes of Salt may be allowed to remain at the IPL if their team is in the knockouts, which end on May 26. England may therefore add cover to the squad to face Pakistan if required,.
Four members of the provisional squad – Salt, Jacks, Hartley and Jordan – are not on England’s list of 26 centrally contracted players, while the likes of Dawid Malan, Woakes and Atkinson miss out. All three were members of England’s squad for the doomed 50-over World Cup defence in the autumn, a tournament which means that head coach Matthew Mott goes into this campaign under pressure despite still being T20 World Cup champions.
