Jofra Archer has been included in England’s provisional T20 World Cup squad after his Ashes-ending injury, with fellow fast bowler Josh Tongue also named in a 15-player group for February and March’s tournament in India and Sri Lanka.
Archer suffered a left side strain during the third Test against Australia in Adelaide earlier this month, ruling him out of the final two fixtures in Melbourne and Sydney.
The 30-year-old will also miss January’s white-ball tour of Sri Lanka as he continues his recovery but, all being well, will return for the T20 World Cup the following month as England look to win the event for a third time, after triumphs in 2010 and 2022.
Tongue has earned a maiden T20 call-up after impressing in The Ashes – the Nottinghamshire quick has bagged 12 wickets in two Tests in this winter’s series, including a five-for in the recent two-day win at the MCG – and also in The Hundred last summer, when he claimed a tournament-leading 14 scalps for Manchester Originals.
Brydon Carse has not been included with Tongue’s selection squeezing him out, but the seamer will deputise for Archer during the preceding three-match T20 series in Sri Lanka.
England can make changes to their squad up until a week before the T20 World Cup, which runs from February 7 to March 8.
Josh Tongue has been named in England’s squad for the tournament in India and Sri Lanka
No Smith or Cox in T20 World Cup squad but Curran included
All-rounder Will Jacks is involved after missing the white-ball tour of New Zealand in the autumn with a broken finger, although there is no place for Ashes team-mate Jamie Smith, who is also not picked for the three-match ODI series in Sri Lanka as Zak Crawley returns to the 50-over squad for the first time since December 2023.
Smith, averaging under 20 in The Ashes with one fifty in eight knocks, opened in his previous three T20Is against the West Indies in June, hitting 60 off 26 balls in the last of those outings, but England are well stocked in that area with Phil Salt, Jos Buttler and Ben Duckett.
Jamie Smith has been left out of the T20 World Cup and also the preceding tour of Sri Lanka
Jacks and Tom Banton are also options at the top, although the latter has found a regular role in the middle order of late.
Batter Jordan Cox – who was Player of the Tournament in The Hundred last summer after starring for champions Oval Invincibles – and seamers Sonny Baker and Saqib Mahmood miss out on the World Cup but all-rounder Sam Curran is included, while Liam Dawson and Rehan Ahmed join Adil Rashid in the spin department.
England’s first World Cup match is against Nepal in Mumbai on February 8 ahead of further group games versus West Indies on February 11 (Mumbai), Bangladesh on February 14 (Kolkata) and tournament debutants Italy on February 16 (Kolkata).
Harry Brook will captain England in a global tournament for the first time at the T20 World Cup
The T20 World Cup will be captain Harry Brook’s first in charge at a global tournament with the batter having taken over from Buttler following the dismal Champions Trophy campaign earlier this year in which England lost all three of their group matches.
England reached the semi-finals of the previous T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and USA in 2024 before losing to eventual champions India, two years after winning the 2022 edition in Australia.
Success at the 2026 tournament would ease the pressure on head coach Brendon McCullum and managing director of cricket Rob Key after the recent Ashes series defeat.
Why the Sri Lanka ODIs matter for England
The ODIs in Sri Lanka are also important as England battle to qualify directly for the 2027 50-over World Cup in Africa.
The top eight sides in the rankings, as well as co-hosts South Africa, will reach the tournament with England currently eighth, ahead of West Indies and Bangladesh, after losing 11 of McCullum’s 15 ODIs in charge, including all three in New Zealand ahead of The Ashes.
Smith recorded scores of nought, 13 and and five opening the batting against the Black Caps as his one-day international average dipped to 21.77 from 19 games.
With the Surrey man now dropped from the squad to take on Sri Lanka in the format, there looks a high chance that Duckett and Crawley will take their Test opening partnership into the 50-over arena.
Zak Crawley could now get a chance to open the batting for England in 50-over cricket
England in Sri Lanka schedule
All times UK and Ireland
First ODI (Thursday January 22) – R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo (9am)Second ODI (Saturday January 24) – R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo (9am)Third ODI (Tuesday January 27) – R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo (9am)First T20 (Friday January 30) – Pallekele Cricket Stadium, Pallekele (1.30pm)Second T20 (Sunday February 1) – Pallekele Cricket Stadium, Pallekele (1.30pm)Third T20 (Tuesday February 3) – Pallekele Cricket Stadium, Pallekele (1.30pm)
England’s T20 World Cup group-stage schedule
All times UK and Ireland
Vs Nepal (Sunday February 8) – Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai (9.30am)Vs West Indies (Wednesday February 11) – Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai (1.30pm)Vs Bangladesh (Saturday February 14) – Eden Gardens, Kolkata (9.30am)Vs Italy (Monday February 16) – Eden Gardens, Kolkata (9.30am)
