England have announced their T20 World Cup squad, notably omitting Jamie Smith following a challenging Ashes series, while taking a calculated risk on the fitness of Jofra Archer and handing an uncapped call-up to fast bowler Josh Tongue.
Smith’s exclusion comes despite a blistering 60 from 26 balls in his last T20 international appearance against the West Indies in June.
However, a subsequent difficult Test series in Australia, where he has averaged 19.85 with the bat and faced scrutiny for his wicketkeeping, appears to have sealed his fate.
He had previously been rested from white-ball fixtures due to a heavy workload.
In contrast, Josh Tongue’s stock has soared. Despite never having played white-ball cricket for England, his impressive performances in Adelaide and Melbourne during the Ashes have earned him a spot.
Tongue was also the top wicket-taker in last season’s Hundred competition, claiming 14 wickets in just six games, boasting a T20 strike-rate of a wicket every 12.5 balls.
Jofra Archer has been named in the 16-man squad with the expectation that he will have fully recovered from a left side strain by the tournament’s start.
The pace bowler, who suffered the latest in a series of fitness setbacks after the first three Ashes Tests, is projected to be out for three to six weeks.
This places him on a tight schedule for England’s opening group game on 8 February, with Brydon Carse travelling as an understudy for the preceding bilateral tour of Sri Lanka, ready to step in should Archer encounter any further issues.
Ben Duckett retains his place despite a taxing time in Australia, where his form faltered and an appearance in a social media clip drew attention.
Management believes he remains fresh and his ability against spin will be valuable on the sub-continent. Test opener Zak Crawley is included in the 50-over leg of the Sri Lanka trip, despite not having played List A cricket since December 2023.
Harry Brook will lead his first World Cup campaign as captain, supported by a familiar core including Jos Buttler, Phil Salt, Jacob Bethell, Adil Rashid, Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, and Luke Wood. Jamie Overton, Rehan Ahmed, and Tom Banton also receive call-ups. Kent’s Jordan Cox is understood to be first reserve for the batting group.
England are set to face Bangladesh, West Indies, Italy, and Nepal in Group C. Managing director Rob Key and head coach Brendon McCullum will be hoping for a strong showing to solidify their positions following the recent Ashes loss.
England T20 squad (Sri Lanka tour and World Cup): H Brook (c), R Ahmed, J Archer (WC only), T Banton, J Bethell, J Buttler, B Carse (SL only), S Curran, L Dawson, B Duckett, W Jacks, J Overton, A Rashid, P Salt, J Tongue, L Wood.
England ODI Squad v Sri Lanka: H Brook (c), R Ahmed, T Banton, J Bethell, J Buttler, B Carse, Z Crawley, S Curran, L Dawson, B Duckett, W Jacks, J Overton, A Rashid, J Root, L Wood.
