England have recalled several experienced players to their T20I squad to face Sri Lanka, including Chris Woakes, who last played a game in the format in November 2015.
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David Willey and Liam Dawson, both 31-year-old left-arm all-rounders, have also been recalled. Willey, a pace bowler, last played in the format in 2019, while Dawson, a spinner, last played in 2018.
While Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer and Reece Topley are all unavailable through injury, the squad is otherwise full-strength. The likes of Jos Buttler, Jonny Bairstow and Sam Curran, all rested for England’s Test series against New Zealand because of their participation in the IPL, have been selected. Woakes, the PCA Men’s Player of the Year in 2020 largely because of his Test performances, also fits into this category.
Mark Wood and Sam Billings are the two England players involved in the Test series against New Zealand to also feature in this squad.
“With the T20 World Cup only a few months away, this summer is about perfecting our team and continue to progress on the field,” said England head coach Chris Silverwood, also responsible for selecting the side. “We want to approach every series with an influx of players aiming to win every match and giving us the best preparation as we get closer to the tournament.
“With several high-profile players missing through injury, it allows me to look at some of our experienced players who have not featured at this level for some time. The likes of Chris Woakes and David Willey are very experienced cricketers, and to have them both in the mix is exciting and shows the depth of squad we have available. I want our team to play an attacking form of the game. I hope we can continue to excite the England fans with our approach.”
England’s squad will head to Cardiff on Saturday, June 19, with the series starting on June 23.
England T20I squad to face Sri Lanka: Eoin Morgan (captain), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Dawid Malan, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Tom Curran, Sam Curran, Chris Woakes, David Willey, Liam Dawson, Chris Jordan, Mark Wood, Sam Billings, Jason Roy