An England batsman has been dropped for the upcoming T20 World Cup following a string of poor showings during the Ashes.
Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes’ England side finally had something to show for their efforts in Australia when they beat the hosts in the fourth Ashes test in Melbourne to make it 3-1 ahead of the fifth and final test, which will get underway at the Sydney Cricket Ground on January 4.
Bowler Josh Tongue, who was playing his second test of the series, impressed by taking seven wickets with five coming in Australia’s first innings, and will likely retain his spot in Sydney.
Fast bowlers Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, and most recently Gus Atkinson have all been ruled out of the final test with various injuries, with Durham’s Matthew Potts expected to come in to the bowling line-up to support Tongue, Stokes, and Brydon Carse.
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Meanwhile, all-rounder Jacob Bethell replaced the out-of-form Ollie Pope for the fourth test and, after scoring a crucial 40 in England’s second innings, will also likely stay in the team for Sydney.
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And despite still having one Ashes test to play, England’s selectors are already planning for the upcoming white-ball matches in Sri Lanka ahead of the T20 World Cup.
The tournament gets underway in February and will be played across India and Sri Lanka.
On Tuesday (December 30), England announced their provisional ICC T20 World Cup squad as well as the respective squads for the ODI and T20 series in Sri Lanka.
Injured Sussex bowler Archer has been left out of the tour of Sri Lanka but named in the provisional T20 World Cup squad as he “continues his rehabilitation” of a left side strain.
Tongue has been called up to the IT20 squad for the first time, while Carse will take part in the Sri Lanka tour only.
But the 30-year-old will likely act as a standby for Archer if any further problems occur.
Kent opening batsman Zak Crawley will also return to the ODI squad for the first time in over two years.
However, wicketkeeper Jamie Smith has been dropped after performing poorly throughout the Ashes.
Smith has averaged just 19.85 with the bat in Australia while also struggling behind the stumps.
The 25-year-old, who smashed 60 from 26 balls against the West Indies in his last T20 match back in June, has been left out of both the tour of Sri Lanka and the T20 World Cup squad, with Lancashire wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler likely to keep wicket in Smith’s place.
England will face Bangladesh, the West Indies, Italy, and Nepal in Group C of the T20 World Cup and will, no doubt, be hoping to improve on their 2024 T20 World Cup performance, during which they lost in the semi-finals to eventual winners India.
England Men’s IT20 Squad
Harry Brook (Yorkshire) (Captain)
Rehan Ahmed (Leicestershire)
Jofra Archer (Sussex) *ICC Men’s T20 World Cup only
Tom Banton (Somerset)
Jacob Bethell (Warwickshire)
Jos Buttler (Lancashire)
Brydon Carse (Durham) *Sri Lanka tour only
Sam Curran (Surrey)
Liam Dawson (Hampshire)
Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire)
Will Jacks (Surrey)
Jamie Overton (Surrey)
Adil Rashid (Yorkshire)
Phil Salt (Lancashire)
Josh Tongue (Nottinghamshire)
Luke Wood (Lancashire)
Topics: Cricket, Ben Stokes
Luke Davies