England share major Jofra Archer injury update as squad decision made | Cricket | Sport
England have named Jofra Archer in their provisional T20 World Cup squad despite the fast bowler currently recovering from a left side strain. The ECB have confirmed the 30-year-old will miss the tour of Sri Lanka that starts later this month while his rehabilitation continues with their medical team.
Archer sustained his injury during the third Ashes Test in Adelaide after playing in the first three matches of the series. He then missed the fourth Test win at the MCG, being replaced by returning seamer Gus Atkinson, who then injured his left hamstring in Melbourne, and will not feature in Sydney either after being ruled out for the remainder of the tour.
Josh Tongue receives a maiden T20 call-up after impressing Down Under. The Nottinghamshire seamer has taken 12 wickets after coming into the team for the last two Tests.
However, the 28-year-old is not in the one-day international squad for the three matches at the R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, on January 22, 24, and 27. Brydon Carse is, though, and will provide cover for Archer for the T20s in Sri Lanka despite playing in all of the first four Ashes Tests.
As for the batters, Ben Duckett, white-ball captain Harry Brook, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Will Jacks and Zak Crawley will all leave Australia after the fifth Test and depart for Sri Lanka on January 18. Bethell, Brook, Duckett and Jacks are in both squads, with Crawley and Root just going to Sri Lanka for the ODIs.
For Crawley, it represents a first white-ball call-up in two years, while Jacks also returns after missing the tour of New Zealand in October because of a broken finger. Jamie Smith is a notable absentee after enduring a difficult Ashes and struggling on the last white-ball tour, as is Jordan Cox, who top-scored in The Hundred last summer.
Teams had until January 8 to submit their provisional 15-player World Cup squad to the ICC. Changes are allowed until January 31, which is the day between their first and second T20s at Pallekele International Stadium in Kandy.
The tournament in India and Sri Lanka begins on February 7, with England playing their first game in Group C with Nepal at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai the following day. They stay in India’s largest city for their second match versus the West Indies on February 11, before moving to Eden Gardens in Kolkata for their final two group games: against Bangladesh on February 14 and debutants Italy two days later.
England squad for ODIs in Sri Lanka: Harry Brook, Rehan Ahmed, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Luke Wood.
England squad for T20s in Sri Lanka and World Cup: Harry Brook, Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer (World Cup only), Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler, Brydon Carse (Sri Lanka only), Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Josh Tongue, Luke Wood.
