Defending champions England clinched its second T20 World Cup title by defeating Team India in the semi-finals and Pakistan in the final. On Tuesday, Jos Buttler’s England side announced their 15-man preliminary squad for the showpiece event. Fit-again pacer Jofra Archer and rookie all-rounder Tom Hartley have featured in the 15-member preliminary T20 World Cup squad.
The England Cricket Board also announced the return of T20 World Cup-bound players in the Indian Premier League on Tuesday. The apex board released its statement for England’s upcoming T20 series against Pakistan, which will be underway on May 22 at Headingley.
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“Selected players, currently playing in the Indian Premier League, will return in time for the series against Pakistan, which gets underway at Headingley on Wednesday 22 May 2024,” the ECB stated.
The release of the ECB’s statement means that the IPL teams will be playing without the services of English players in the playoffs. The likes of Phil Salt (Kolkata Knight Riders), Jos Buttler (Rajasthan Royals), Moeen Ali (Chennai Super Kings), Sam Curran (Punjab Kings) etc will be out of action for their respective teams.
The English players have played a pivotal role in the journey of their respective teams. While Phil Salt has been one of the biggest strengths for KKR in scoring 200+ run targets, being the team’s highest run-scorer (392 runs in 9 matches) alongside Sunil Narine, Jos Buttler has been the vital force of table-toppers RR in chasing high scores.
Teams like PBKS and RCB might have a greater impact if England players are not available in their camps in the later stages. While the playoffs chances for RCB (who have Will Jacks and Reece Topley in their side) look bleak, PBKS have been fairly reliant on Jonny Bairstow, Liam Livingstone and skipper Sam Curran to stay alive in the playoffs race.
Following the Pakistan series, the England team will fly to the West Indies on May 31 for their first clash against Scotland at the Kensington Oval, Barbados on June 4.
England vs Pakistan series schedule:
1st T20: England v Pakistan, 22 May, Headingley, Leeds
2nd T20: England v Pakistan, 25 May, Edgbaston, Birmingham
3rd T20: England v Pakistan, 28 May, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff
4th T20: England v Pakistan, 30 May, The Kia Oval, London
England squad for T20 World Cup:
Jos Buttler (C), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonathan Bairstow, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, Tom Hartley, Will Jacks, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Reece Topley, Mark Wood