The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has announced their 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, scheduled to be played in Oman and the UAE from October 17 to November 14.
As per the ICC rules, the cricketing boards of participating teams are allowed to make changes in their squad till October 10.
England have included left-arm fast bowler Tymal Mills in their 15-man preliminary squad, but all-rounder Ben Stokes remains unavailable for selection.
While addressing the media, head coach Chris Silverwood said that Mills’ performances in the T20 Blast and The Hundred this season had cemented his position in the side.
“Tymal Mills deserves his inclusion and has demonstrated over the past couple of years, but particularly this summer that he has all skills to succeed at this level.
“His exceptional pace is a standout, and the way he has spearheaded Sussex and Southern Brave’s respective attacks in the short-form game has shown that he relishes the pressures of the big stage. He will add variety to our bowling unit, and we can’t wait to see him play in a major international tournament,” Silverwood added.
The absence of Stokes was expected. He is currently on an indefinite break from cricket due to health issues and has played just three ODIs, against Pakistan this summer.
The omission of Test skipper Joe Root is not much of a surprise either. He has not been part of England’s T20I squad for a while, and last played a 20-over match in the summer of 2019.
After winning the ODI World Cup in 2019, the No.1-ranked T20I team will aim to add another piece of silverware this year.
“We are excited about the prospect of challenging to win the ICC T20 World Cup,” said Silverwood.
“I believe we have selected a squad that covers all bases and has the depth to be successful in what is expected to be a very competitive tournament featuring the best players in the world.”
Squad: Eoin Morgan (c), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler (wk), Sam Curran, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Tymal Mills, Adil Rashid, Jason Roy, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
Reserves: Tom Curran, Liam Dawson, James Vince.
