England have named Jofra Archer in their provisional squad for the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, despite the fast bowler recovering from a left-arm strain that ruled him out in the latter stages of the Ashes.
Archer, who had been in good form for England during the Ashes series, was injured in the third Test in Adelaide, which Australia won to retain within 11 days.
He finished the series with nine wickets at 27.11, including five for 53 in the first innings at Adelaide Oval – his fourth Test five-wicket haul.
Archer also made valuable contributions with the bat, scoring his maiden Test half-century and scoring 102 runs at 25.50.
The 30-year-old left Australia on Boxing Day after the first day of the fourth Test in Melbourne and is currently recuperating in Barbados under the supervision of the ECB’s medical team.
He will miss England’s three ODIs and three T20Is in Sri Lanka starting on January 22, with Brydon Carse expected to cover the short form after the ODI leg.
Archer is expected to join the squad in India ahead of England’s Group C match against Nepal in Mumbai on February 8.
Josh Dungu, who has not played international white-ball cricket, has been included in the 15-man provisional World Cup squad.
Lang was favored by head coach Brendon McCullum and white-ball captain Harry Brooke as a strike bowler suited to the flat pitches expected in India and Sri Lanka.
Despite limited T20 experience – just 21 matches – Nangue has impressed across all formats this year.
He finished as the men’s leading wicket-taker with 14 wickets and enjoyed an impressive Ashes campaign with 12 wickets at 18.58.
His outstanding performance at the MCG, where he took 5 for 45 and 7 for 89, earned him the Mullagh Medal as man of the match in England’s first Test win in Australia since January 2011.
Jamie Smith has been completely dropped from the limited overs setup following a flop at the top of the order.
Ben Duckett returns after missing three T20Is in New Zealand, while all-rounder Will Jacks is back in both teams after sitting out the same tour. Zak Crawley returns to the ODI team for the first time since 2023.
Jordan Cox has been ruled out, while seamer Saqib Mahmood is unavailable as he recovers from a knee injury that will require minor surgery at the end of the 2025 home season.
Despite the tight turnaround following the Ashes – with the team set to depart for Sri Lanka on January 18, 10 days after the conclusion of the fifth Test in Sydney – England are unwilling to rest their Test regulars.
Seven members of the ODI squad have been involved throughout the Ashes, including Joe Root, who turns 35 this week.
The result underscores the urgency to revive England’s struggling white-ball form and the pressure on McCullum to deliver results.
Since taking charge of limited-overs teams in early 2025, along with his Test role, McCullum has overseen six wins and five losses in 13 T20Is and 11 losses in 15 ODIs.
Those results leave England eighth in the ODI rankings, meaning automatic qualification for the 2027 50-over World Cup is not guaranteed.
A strong performance in the T20 World Cup, especially after England’s semi-final exit in 2024, led to Matthew Mott’s exit. England previously won the trophy in 2010 and 2022.
England squad for Sri Lanka T20 and provisional T20 World Cup squad:
Harry Brook (captain), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer (World Cup only), Tom Panton, Jacob Bethel, Jos Buttler, Bryden Garse (Sri Lanka tour only), Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Joc Toot, Joc Toot.
England ODI Squad for Sri Lanka Tour:
Harry Brook (Captain), Rehan Ahmed, Tom Panton, Jacob Bethel, Jos Buttler, Brayden Garse, Zach Crawley, Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Joe Root and Luke Wood.