England’s 50-over World Cup title defence in India last autumn was an unmitigated disaster. Just three wins in nine games, two of which came after they had been eliminated.
But now they get a do-over, of sorts.
Jos Buttler’s side will be out to defend their T20 World Cup title in the West Indies in June, live on Sky Sports, having won that tournament in Australia in late 2022.
Ben Stokes was the key man in a jittery run chase against Pakistan in the final at the MCG two years ago but will not be part of the 2024 tournament after making himself unavailable for selection.
So, who will make England’s provisional 15-man squad, which is due to be named next week ahead of a May 1 deadline? We look at those secure of their places, plus those still hoping and dreaming…
There seems little doubt that Buttler and Phil Salt will open the batting for England.
The skipper was always going to do that and looks in fine nick at the moment after two hundreds in three innings for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, while Salt sealed his spot on the tour of the Caribbean in December with back-to-back centuries, cracking a combined 19 sixes across those two innings.
Buttler’s 107 leads Rajasthan Royals to a thrilling final-ball win over Kolkata Knight Riders
Salt’s inclusion also gives Buttler the option of captaining from mid-off and handing his opening partner the wicketkeeping gloves instead – or perhaps Jonny Bairstow, if the latter makes the cut.
Harry Brook looks a lock in the middle order, while spin-bowling all-rounders Liam Livingstone and Moeen Ali seem certain of a place in the squad if not the 11. It could be Moeen’s last hurrah in international cricket as he turns 37 midway through the tournament.
Moeen’s long-time spin-bowling partner Adil Rashid is arguably England’s most important player. The leggie rose to the top of the T20I rankings for the first time in his career during the series against West Indies late last year, going at just 6.20 an over while other bowlers were battered for sixes.
Seam-bowling-wise, Jofra Archer is expected to be named in England’s initial squad as he continues his comeback from a raft of injuries, while fellow speedster Mark Wood should join him.
Men’s managing director Rob Key says England need to be flexible with Jofra Archer as they try to guide him back to full fitness
We can probably also ink in all-rounder Sam Curran, Player of the Tournament at the last T20 World Cup.
The left-arm seamer had a shocker of a 50-over World Cup last year but is enjoying a decent IPL with the ball for Punjab Kings, while he began that competition with a half-century.
Curran’s Kings team-mate Bairstow is not enjoying a decent IPL.
He was dropped by his franchise after averaging just 16 across his first six innings, carrying over his lean run of form from England’s 4-1 Test series defeat in India earlier this year in which he failed to reach 40 in 10 knocks.
England are loyal to players but can also be ruthless, as Jason Roy has found out ahead of the previous two World Cups. Bairstow – a key cog in his country’s white-ball rise post-2015 – may now be sweating on his place, even though he still seems likely to be in the top four.
Will Jacks smashed a 41-ball century for Pretoria Capitals in the SA20 earlier this year
Will Jacks appears odds-on to join him, with his hard-hitting batting – he crunched a 41-ball hundred in the SA20 earlier this year – and off-spin bowling making him an attractive pick.
Test opener Ben Duckett is also eyeing a T20 middle-order slot and with Stokes absent and Dawid Malan’s international career looking over, he would offer a valuable left-handed option.
Surrey all-rounder Jamie Overton was viewed as a late bolter for the squad after an impressive run in franchise cricket around the world, including in last summer’s Hundred when he thumped over 200 runs at a strike-rate of 181.98 for Manchester Originals.
But the 30-year-old has now tweaked his back and been urged to rest for a couple of weeks before undergoing further tests. A T20 debut may have to wait.
Leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed and left-arm spinner Tom Hartley could be vying for the final slow-bowling spot, while the other seamers in the running are Reece Topley, Tymal Mills, Chris Woakes and Gus Atkinson.
Topley has arguably been England’s best white-ball bowler over the last few years when fit, Woakes has oodles of experience, Mills can mix extreme pace with canny slower deliveries, and Atkinson looks the long-term successor to fellow quick Wood in all formats.
It would be a surprise if anyone outside the players already mentioned gate-crashed the squad with Joe Root – for all of his reverse scoops – now seen as solely a Test and ODI player; England having moved on from the ageing Malan; and Zak Crawley’s path to a batting spot blocked by others.
Left-arm quick Luke Wood and right-arm fast bowlers Brydon Carse and Richard Gleeson will probably need injuries to others – and lots of them – to be involved in the World Cup.
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