England have announced their provisional squad for the T20 World Cup, with the return of a star name a huge boost ahead of their title defence.
The 15-man group is captained by Jos Buttler with England travelling to the West Indies and United States as one of the favourites for the competition.
With Ben Stokes having ruled himself out of the tournament earlier this week, an opportunity was always going to free up for an alternative in the middle order.
However, the most notable name on the squad list is that of Jofra Archer, who has not represented England in any form of cricket since March 2023.
Archer - part of the 2019 50-over World Cup-winning side - has been suffering with a long-standing elbow injury, but the 29-year-old has been deemed fit enough to step up his recovery.
Who else features in the squad?
Chris Jordan has not played a T20 international since the start of September, yet the all-rounder has been included ahead of Chris Woakes.
Tom Hartley has been rewarded for his impressive performances in the Test arena in India with a place in the squad, despite being uncapped in this international format.
England have named their provisional squad for the T20 World Cup.
— Test Match Special (@bbctms) April 30, 2024
Jofra Archer returns after a year out with injury. pic.twitter.com/zzvBQiNe1A
Will Jacks is yet to make his mark at T20 level with England, but he is rewarded for his sensational 41-ball century for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League over the weekend.
What next for England?
Before making their trip across the pond, England will first participate in a four-match series with Pakistan, the first of those matches taking place on May 22.
Meanwhile, their T20 World Cup campaign is due to get underway on June 4, with fixtures scheduled against Scotland, Australia, Oman and Namibia.
Darren Plant
