“Jofra Archer Returns: England’s T20 World Cup Hope”

Pacer Jofra Archer has been selected in England’s preliminary squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup, making his return to international cricket after a hiatus of 14 months.

The 29-year-old last played for England in a T20I series against Bangladesh in March 2023, where he was England’s leading wicket-taker with four scalps from three matches at an economy of 6.63.

However, he was forced to sit on the sidelines due to a recurrence of a stress fracture in his right elbow. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed that Archer has now recovered from his injury and is named in the squad.

Archer has been working intensely on his return since January this year, including attending Sussex’s pre-season camps in Abu Dhabi and Bengaluru, and playing in a handful of club matches at Barbados.

England, who are the defending champions, will be led by Jos Buttler, who had led them to the title in Australia in 2022.

The squad also includes Lancashire all-rounder Tom Hartley as the sole uncapped player in T20Is. Meanwhile, several players including Buttler, Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Phil Salt, Will Jacks, and Reece Topley will return home from the Indian Premier League (IPL) ahead of the T20I series against Pakistan from May 22.

This means that these players will miss the final stages of the tournament. The World Cup squad will fly to the Caribbean on May 31 ahead of England’s opening group match against Scotland at the Kensington Oval, Barbados, on Wednesday, June 4.