England building for World Cup title defence: Jofra Archer returns – but will Ben Stokes play in India? | Cricket News

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After winning the T20 World Cup at the end of 2022, England will aim to hold the 50-over version in November this year.

A lot has changed in England cricket of late (new captain, new coach, new director of cricket, winning Test matches and winning in style) but England’s international team at the World Cup in India this autumn could be familiar. enjoy.

As many as nine of the 11 players who played in the World Cup final against New Zealand four years ago are able to take the field, the only absentees being retired former captain Eoin Morgan and bowler Liam Plunkett, who now lives in the United States. .

The other nine chances are in the first XI in England range from fairly guaranteed (captain Jos Buttler, Joe Root, Adil Rashid) to certain if fit (Jonny Bairstow, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood) to very up in the air (Jason). Roy, Chris Woakes, Ben Stokes)

Friday, January 27, 10:30 a.m


England ODI squad in South Africa

Jos Buttler (captain and wicketkeeper), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, Dawid Malan. Adil Rashid, Jason Roy, Phil Salt, Olly Stone, Reece Topley, David Willey, Chris Woakes

England ODIs in South Africa – all live on Sky Sports

  • 1st ODI (Bloemfontein) – Friday 27 January (11am); 10.30 on air
  • 2nd ODI (Bloemfontein) – Sunday 29 January (8am); 7.30 on air
  • 3rd ODI (Kimberley) – Wednesday February 1 (11am); 10.30 on air

Roy and Woakes are in England’s squad for the three-match ODI series in South Africa – each game live on Sky Sports with the Schedule on January 27, January 29 and February 1 – but Roy’s form has been sketchy for a while and Woakes faces pressure to place because of the continued development of Sam Curran.

Jos Buttler (Getty Images)
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Jos Buttler’s England team will play 13 one-day internationals ahead of the World Cup in India in October and November.

As for Stokes, he announced his retirement from ODIs last year amid a busy cricket calendar, opting entirely to focus on England’s Test turnaround and playing T20 internationals. This is a decision that can be made very well…

However, he refused to rule out a return to the World Cup when asked about the possibility in November, saying: “Who knows how I feel at the time? Going to the World Cup is an incredible thing to represent your country. I don’t think about it.”

And the white-ball coach Matthew Mott revealed ahead of the South Africa series even had a conversation with Stokes – although light-hearted – about reversing retirement, making it clear the door is always open.

With England’s final Test of 2022 taking place in July, and the red-ball side not returning until a series in India in early 2024, Stokes’ second half of the year could be barren without a World Cup appearance. Watch this space…

Ben Stokes walks in the final ODI for England (PA Image)
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Ben Stokes retired from ODI cricket last summer, with his final game at home to Durham

Stokes is not in South Africa. No Root (playing T20 cricket in the UAE), Wood (rested) or Bairstow (recovering from a broken leg sustained on the golf course). Liam Livingstone (knee) is another absentee. So there is an opportunity for Roy to provide timely reminders of his talent and for Harry Brook and Ben Duckett to try and nail down a spot in either squad or XI.

Roy was dropped from England’s T20 squad after falling out of international and domestic form last summer, opening at an average of 12.66 in England’s T20Is against India and South Africa and managing just 51 runs in six innings – three of which were ducks – for the Oval Invincibles. during The Hundred.

The 32-year-old was saved for the three-match ODI series in Australia, which took place just a few days after the T20 World Cup, but the scratchy score of six, none and 33 did little to suggest that it could remain a permanent match.

Jason Roy (Associated Press)
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Jason Roy could do it with a record score in the ODI series against South Africa, live on Sky Sports

It should not be forgotten how much Roy’s recovery from injury for the final stages of the 2019 World Cup galvanized England in their run to the trophy. We’re also not neglecting his ODI records – almost 4,000 runs in 110 matches, with 10 hundreds, including England’s record 180 against Australia at the MCG, plus 21 fifties.

But there are players lining up for the opening spot. Both, Phil Salt and Duckett, are in South Africa. Then there was Bairstow. In addition, Alex Hales – recalled for the T20 World Cup following Bairstow’s injury – and James Vince have scored regularly in the International T20 League in the UAE.

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Jofra Archer and Jos Buttler have both been in action in the SA20 where Archer took Buttler’s wicket in MI Cape Town’s narrow win over Paarl Royals

Will Jacks has tonking runs and pulled off a stunning catch in the SA20 and Zak Crawley, a Test regular, at times free-scoring one, has designs on breaking into the limited-overs team: “I have always been right to meet the white-ball may be more natural to me,” Crawley said Cricinfo interview.

The middle order, with Root, Livingstone and Stokes currently unavailable, Duckett, Brook and Dawid Malan could join Roy, Salt and captain Buttler in South Africa’s top six.

Malan scored a century from No 3 in a largely forgotten Australian series, while Duckett and Brook impressed in the 4-3 T20I series win in Pakistan and then in the 3-0 Test sweep against the same opposition in December.

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Harry Brook got the most England batsmen in a Test over when he took Pakistan leg-spinner Zahid Mahmood for 27 in Rawalpindi

Duckett and Brook’s prowess against spin should help them make England’s World Cup squad. The way Brook ended 2022, it’s hard to imagine a player with the “touch of genius” being left out of the XI, whatever the format.

In terms of spin bowling, England looked good: with Rashid, leg-spinner Moeen Ali and Livingstone, who played both sides.

There could be a chance for 18-year-old Rehan Ahmed to crack the squad, though, with the young leggie – who took a five-wicket haul on his Test debut in Pakistan in December – in line for a call-up for ODIs. series in Bangladesh in March.

If the all-rounder impresses there, in conditions similar to what England may face in India, it could be a World Cup venue.

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Check out every one of Rehan Ahmed’s wickets as the England teenager became the youngest man to take a five-wicket haul on his Test debut

The South Africa series is all about Jofra, with the talented but injured paceman set to play for England for the first time since 2021 after seeing his career cut short by elbow and back injuries.

Archer has enjoyed some encouraging performances in the SA20 – wickets, quick deliveries, quick runs out – but the game against South Africa will be an acid test for his fitness and how he bowls after surgery. With Wood given a breather, Archer and another fast bowler, Olly Stone, would provide the venom.

Complementing South Africa are Woakes and T20 World Cup Player Curran – Curran took 13 wickets in six games at an average of 11.38 as England won the tournament – plus David Willey and Reece Topley.

Reece Topley (Associated Press)
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Reece Topley has been an instrumental part of England’s white ball bowling line-up

Willey was in England’s T20 World Cup squad but did not play a game, while fellow left-armer Topley was a key player for England in the competition before tripping over a ‘toblerone’ boundary mark during a training session at The Gabba and being sent off before the World Cup started.

Topley looks a shoo-in for the 50-over World Cup after taking 13 wickets in seven ODIs in 2022, including an England-record 6-24 against India at Lord’s in July, plus 17 wickets in 16 T20 internationals.

This could result in England’s World Cup squad looking something like the following, unless Stokes retires.

Potential England 50-over World Cup team

Jonny Bairstow, Phil Salt, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, Ben Duckett, Reece Topley, Chris Woakes / Olly Stone, Rehan Ahmed

Watch England’s three-match ODI series in South Africa live on Sky Sports Cricket. Coverage of the first game, in Bloemfontein, starts at 10.30am on Friday before first ball at 11am.

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