Archer And Tongue Selected As England Outline Provisional T20 World Cup Squad

Jofra Archer is back in England’s provisional squad for the T20 World Cup in 2026, although he is still on the mend after a strain on his left side that ruled him out of the Ashes after the third test.

Josh Tongue is also included in the 15-player group, even though he has not yet played limited-overs international cricket. He has been identified as a strike bowler by Brendon McCullum and captain Harry Brook, who can fit well into the flatter pitches expected in India and Sri Lanka.

Jamie Smith is not part of the provisional plans of the World Cup, as well as the white-ball teams that will go to Sri Lanka. His top-order experiment failed, and a tough Ashes season had left him with an average of 19.85. In his ten ODIs, he endured a poor run, including four ducks. His last appearance in T20I was in June, when he was made to open in both forms. Ben Duckett comes back after missing the T20Is in New Zealand. 

Archer’s recovery monitored as England balances workloads

Archer was one of England’s standout performers in the Ashes before injury forced him out. He finished the series with nine wickets at 27.11, highlighted by 5 for 53 in Adelaide to claim a fourth five-wicket haul, while also contributing 102 runs at 25.50 and scoring his first Test half-century.

He departed Australia on Boxing Day and is currently rehabilitating in Barbados under ECB supervision. Jofra Archer will miss the ODI and T20I legs of the Sri Lanka tour that begins January 22. Brydon Carse will remain after the ODIs to cover, while Archer is expected to link up with the squad in India ahead of England’s Group C opener against Nepal in Mumbai on February 8.

England's T20 WC group fixtures

vs Nepal, February 8, Mumbai
vs West Indies, February 11, Mumbai
vs Bangladesh, February 14, Kolkata
vs Italy, February 16, Kolkata

Even though Tongue has only played 21 T20 games, he already led the wicket list in the Hundred of men with 14 wickets and showed himself impressively at the Ashes with 12 wickets at 18.58. His 5/45 at the MCG was included in match statistics of 7 /89, which won him the Mullagh Medal and saw England win their first Test in Australia since January 2011.

Experience prioritised for Sri Lanka tour

Will Jacks returns to all formats again after being absent in the New Zealand series, with Zak Crawley making an ODI appearance, his first since 2023, in his eighth cap. Jordan Cox has not been selected, and Saqib Mahmood has not gotten a chance, as he is still recovering from knee surgery at the end of the 2025 season.

England's white-ball tour of Sri Lanka

1st ODI: January 22, Colombo
2nd ODI: January 24, Colombo
3rd ODI: January 27, Colombo
1st T20I: January 30, Kandy
2nd T20I: February 1, Kandy
3rd T20I: February 3, Kandy

Despite the short turnaround following the Ashes, with the touring party leaving for Sri Lanka on January 18, England have resisted the urge to rest senior Test names. Seven members of the ODI squad have been in Australia throughout, including Joe Root, who turned 35 on Tuesday.

The decision reflects a desire to stabilise white-ball form while reinforcing McCullum’s standing after a difficult Ashes period.

McCallum Faces Pressure; World Cup Success Could Shift The Narrative

Brendon McCullum has been in charge of the limited-overs side since the very beginning of 2025. In his role in the Test side, he has been in charge of 6 wins and 5 losses in 13 T20Is. He missed the Ireland tour, which was concluded by a 2-0 series victory of England. In ODIs, he has a record of four wins and eleven defeats in 15 games.

It is also unclear whether automatic qualification to the 2027 World Cup would be guaranteed since only the top eight will go straight. England is now in 8th position, with West Indies and Bangladesh coming behind.

A good T20 World Cup campaign would go a long way in alleviating pressure. In 2024, England made the semi-finals but lost to the eventual champions India, which eventually caused Matthew Mott to step down as the head coach. In 2010 and 2022, England had previously won the T20 World Cup titles.

England Squad For T20 World Cup Squad

Harry Brook (capt), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer (World Cup only), Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler, Brydon Carse (Sri Lanka tour only), Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Josh Tongue, Luke Wood

England ODI squad for Sri Lanka tour

Harry Brook (capt), Rehan Ahmed, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Luke Wood