Archer gets England call-up for World T20

Jofra Archer has been recalled to the England squad for their defence of the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and United States in June.

Fast bowler Archer, 29, will make his latest comeback from a long-standing elbow injury that has prevented him from playing for England since March 2023.

Fellow fast bowler Chris Jordan also earns a recall, but there is no place for Chris Woakes, a World Cup winner in both limited-overs formats. Uncapped left-arm spinner Tom Hartley is included in a 15-man provisional squad, captained by Jos Buttler.

10 players return from 2022

The same group will take on Pakistan in a four-match T20 series, which begins at Headingley on May 22.

The eight members of the squad currently playing in the Indian Premier League, including Buttler, will return for the beginning of that series. The captain could, however, miss some of the Pakistan series for the birth of his third child.

The deadline for naming a final World Cup squad is May 25, and England begin the defence of the title they won in Australia in 2022 against Scotland in Barbados on June 4.

Buttler’s side will include 10 players from the squad that made them the first men’s team to hold both limited-overs World Cups simultaneously.

However, England surrendered the 50-over World Cup in shambolic fashion in India last autumn, and anything like a repeat this time around would leave Buttler and head coach Matthew Mott in severe danger of being replaced.

In a bid to avoid one of the mistakes from the 50-over World Cup, when England named what they initially said was a final squad, only to then replace Jason Roy with Harry Brook, managing director Rob Key confirmed this is a provisional squad and changes could yet be made.

Test captain Ben Stokes, who was part of the 50-over World Cup squad, asked not to be considered for this tournament so he can focus on rehabilitation from a knee operation. (BBC)