The England Cricket Board (ECB) have named Jofra Archer in their preliminary squad for the T20 World Cup 2024. Left-arm spinner Tom Hartley, who made his Test debut in India earlier this year, is the only uncapped player in the squad. The same squad will face Pakistan in the four-game T20I series set to be contested just before the showpiece event.
With the T20I series against Pakistan set to get underway on May 22nd and IPL 2024 finishing on the 26th, the ECB has directed the players to return from the lucrative T20 competition for national duty. Meanwhile, Archer is likely to play his first international fixture since March 2023, with his elbow injury resurfacing during IPL 2023, forcing him to return home. The right-arm speedster did not play any professional match for the entire year.
The statement from ECB said:
"Selected players, currently playing in the Indian Premier League, will return in time for the series against Pakistan, which gets underway at Headingley on Wednesday 22 May 2024."
Harry Brook is yet another player to mark his return after missing the Test series in India and IPL 2024 due to his grandmother's demise. The right-hander has been in promising form for Yorkshire during the ongoing County Championship.
England Squad for T20 World Cup 2024:
Jos Buttler (c), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, Tom Hartley, Will Jacks, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Reece Topley, Mark Wood.
The most notable omission is Chris Woakes, who played an integral role in helping the side win their 2nd crown. However, Chris Jordan has earned a recall to the side. With Jos Buttler, Phil Salt, Will Jacks, and Jonny Bairstow all in form it will be interesting to see who will open the innings.
The defending champions are clubbed with Australia, Namibia, Oman, and Scotland in Group B. They will open their campaign against Scotland on June 4th in Barbados.
