Jofra Archer named in England’s provisional T20 World Cup squad

Jofra Archer has been named in England’s provisional World Cup T20 squad, despite not having played a professional game of cricket since May 2023.

The West Indian-born fast bowler has been sidelined with a series of major injuries including a longstanding right elbow problem, and a stress fracture. But Archer has worked on rebuilding his fitness, featuring for Sussex and playing club cricket in Barbados while not being allowed to travel overseas to the lucrative Indian Premier League in a bid to recover in time for the World Cup.

The 29-year-old has been named in England’s provisional squad for the tournament in the USA and the West Indies although his last appearance for the national side came in a T20 tour of Bangladesh in March 2023.

Tom Hartley, who made his Test debut in India over the winter and claimed a seven-for on debut in Hyderabad, is the only uncapped player in the squad but has been named as one of the spin attack, which includes Adil Rashid, and all-rounders Will Jacks, Moeen Ali and Liam Livingstone.

Unlike the 50-over World Cup squad which relied on experience, the T20 selection has a mixture of older and younger players, with Jacks, Ben Duckett, Harry Brook and Phil Salt adding a new dimension to the side.

Jacks had been slightly spurned by England when he was not offered a central contract, which were announced during the World Cup, and he was not chosen for the Test tour of India.

Instead, he has impressed in franchise leagues across the world and was picked up in the IPL, where he smashed an unbeaten century off 41 deliveries for Royal Challengers Bangalore, just days before the squad announcement.

The Surrey all-rounder has two Test caps to his name from the tour of Pakistan in 2022 and has played 11 T20 matches for England.

England’s selection and squad balance faced a complication when uncapped seamer and lower-order power hitter Jamie Overton sustained a back injury, and there will be a two-week wait to discover the extent of the issue for the 30-year-old.

Overton is uncapped in T20 cricket for England but has impressed throughout the winter in the franchise leagues, including the Big Bash, and was believed to have a chance of being included, especially after Ben Stokes’ withdrawal. However, instead, England will have to wait on news of the extent of a back injury, from a player who has suffered stress fractures in the past.

England Provisional ICC Men’s T20 World Cup & Vitality IT20 Squad versus Pakistan Squad:

Jos Buttler (Lancashire) Captain

Moeen Ali (Warwickshire)

Jofra Archer (Sussex)

Jonathan Bairstow (Yorkshire)

Harry Brook (Yorkshire)

Sam Curran (Surrey)

Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire)

Tom Hartley (Lancashire)

Will Jacks (Surrey)

Chris Jordan (Surrey)

Liam Livingstone (Lancashire)