Archer and Tongue part of England's provisional squad for T20 World Cup

The 15-man squad also includes Josh Tongue, uncapped in international limited-overs cricket. Tongue has been drafted in by head coach Brendon McCullum and white-ball captain skipper Harry Brook as a strike bowler they believe will thrive on the flatter pitches expected for the tournament in India and Sri Lanka.

Jamie Smith has been axed completely from the limited-overs set-up, which begins the new year with a pre-tournament tour of Sri Lanka, after a failed experiment at the top of the order. He has endured a tough Ashes tour - averaging 19.85 - which followed on from a torrid white ball run, which included four ducks in his last 10 ODI innings. He last played a T20I for England in June having been moved to open across both codes at the start of the year. Ben Duckett returns after missing the three T20Is in New Zealand ahead of the ongoing tour of Australia.

Archer was England's standout player of the Ashes before he picked up his injury during the third Test in Adelaide, which Australia won to secure the urn in just 11 days. The fast bowler registered nine wickets at 27.11, including 5 for 53 - his fourth five-wicket haul - in the first innings at Adelaide Oval. He also contributed with the bat, striking a maiden half-century in the same game as part of 102 runs at 25.50.

Archer left Australia on Boxing Day evening, after day one of the fourth Test in Melbourne, and is currently recovering in Barbados under the supervision of the ECB's medial team. He will miss the three ODIs and three T20Is in Sri Lanka, which starts from January 22, with Brydon Carse staying on after the 50-over matches to fill in. Archer is likely to join the squad in India ahead of their opening Group C match against Nepal in Mumbai on February 8.

Tongue, though relatively inexperienced in T20 cricket with just 21 matches under his belt, has come to the fore with a string of impressive performances this year. He was the leading wicket-taker in this year's men's Hundred with 14 wickets and has impressed in the two Ashes Tests, with 12 at 18.58. That includes 5 for 45 at the MCG, as part of match figures of 7 for 89 which earned him the Mullagh Medal as Player of the Match in England's first Test win in Australia since January 2011.

Meanwhile, allrounder Will Jacks is back in both squads after missing the New Zealand tour, and Zak Crawley returns to the ODI set-up for the first time since 2023, looking to add to his eight caps. There is no place for Jordan Cox, or seamer Saqib Mahmood, who is still recovering from a knee injury that required minor surgery at the end of the 2025 home season.

Despite the tight turnaround after the Ashes - the group will leave the UK for Sri Lanka on January 18, ten days after the scheduled finish of the fifth Test in Sydney - England have decided not to rest their Test stars. Seven of the ODI squad have been out in Australia for the duration, including Joe Root, who turned 35 on Tuesday.

Leaning on experience speaks to the importance of correcting England's ailing white-ball fortunes, and the need for McCullum to restate his worth after a demoralising Ashes tour.

Since assuming control of the limited-overs team at the start of 2025 alongside his Test head coach role, McCullum has overseen six wins and five defeats in 13 T20Is - he skipped the Ireland tour which England won 2-0 - and lost 11 of 15 ODI matches in charge. The latter means automatic qualification for 2027's 50-over World Cup is not a foregone conclusion, with the top-eight-ranked sides progressing to the main tournament. England are eighth as it stands, ahead of West Indies and Bangladesh.

Success in the T20 World Cup would no doubt ease the pressure on McCullum. England finished as semi-finalists in 2024's edition, losing to eventual winners India, which ultimately cost former white-ball coach Matthew Mott his job as head coach. England previously won the tournament in 2010 and 2022.

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

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