Such is the relentlessness of the international schedule, as soon as one World Cup ends, attentions turns to another.
The next T20 World Cup to be held in the Caribbean and America is just six months away, but very few T20I cricket matches will be played between now and the tournament itself .
After five consecutive matches in the Caribbean, the only T20Is on England’s calendar in the run up to the T20 World Cup are four T20Is, scheduled to take place at home against Pakistan in late May, entering the final stages Very likely. His IPL of the game will affect availability. England have little time as a group before the tournament.
So, how are England likely to line up?
England have only played seven T20Is since winning the T20 World Cup at the MCG last year, so the squad for next year’s tournament will not be that different from the team they faced in 2022, when they won the silver medal. It is unlikely that it will.
However, the four T20Is against New Zealand in September left some clues as to how the title defense might change course. Since the T20 World Cup, Alex Hales has retired from international cricket, leaving at least one vacancy at the top. And if this New Zealand series goes well, England are at least considering the possibility of dropping Jos Buttler from the series.
Buttler’s record as an opener in T20I cricket is virtually unrivaled, but his strengths as a T20 batsman are very diverse, and he is just as destructive in the middle order as he is at the top. Since England are not in the midfield, they are not spoiled for choice when it comes to potential opening pitchers. In the past, Jonny Bairstow has had some success at number four, but his best position has always been as an opener. Against New Zealand, Bairstow started the striking attack with Will Jacks, and his occasional off-spin should also come in handy in the Caribbean. They are incumbents.
Ben Stokes‘s future in T20I is unclear – he did not feature in the New Zealand series – but he has shown no signs of an imminent departure from the format. Not shown. If he is available, he will be part of the team.
Perhaps the most striking selection call in the ongoing tour of West Indies is Dawid Malan’s absence. Since the 2019 50-over World Cup, only Adil Rashid has played more T20Is for England than Malan. He was a constant in this New Zealand series as well, but struggled despite his recent ODI success with a strike rate of 105 in four matches.
Mallan was also cut by the Trent Rockets during his time with The Hundred after failing to reach 15 points in four games. Given the proximity of the T20 World Cup, it is unlikely that Malan will feature in his June month if Stokes is available.
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Harry Brook will almost certainly feature and a switch between Butler and Bairstow could see him ranked higher than in the 2022 tournament . Phil Salt Strong> will likely maintain his position as a backup hitter and is someone who can fill a variety of roles depending on who is absent. Ben Duckett has been selected for the ongoing tour of West Indies, so he becomes another possibility, especially if Stokes is not involved.
The overall category will be self-selected by Moeen Ali, Liam Livingstone and Sam Curran. Adil Rashid is also a solid option.
As always, the composition of your melee team depends on your fitness. If she was a 100% fit, Jofra Archer would be chosen, but that’s a big assumption. Taimal Mills appears to have usurped Chris Jordan alongside Curran as England’s best death specialist, while Mark Wood‘s quick feet are a useful weapon. It will be. Reece Topley‘s past two World Championships were interrupted due to injury. He will probably participate once he is fit.
If Archer is unavailable, Gus Atkinson is expected to be involved. 15th place will depend on how England balance their squad. They have recently moved away from selection of reserve spinners in the 15-man group, but Rehan Ahmed strong> has a strong right of selection in his five T20Is to be held in the Caribbean this month. There is an opportunity to bet. If England wish to select another seamer instead, Chris Woakes, his T20 World Cup winner last year, would be another candidate for him.
Predicted England T20 World Cup squad:
Jonny BairstowWill Jacks
Ben Stokes (Ben Duckett)
Harry Brook strong>
Jos ButtlerLiam Livingstone
Moeen Ali
< strong>Sam Curran
Jofra Archer (Gus Atkinson)Adil Rashid
Timaru Mills< /strong>
Phil Salt
Reece TopleyMark Wood
Lehan・Ahmed
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