Chris Jordan is set to be recalled by England as part of their provisional T20 World Cup squad, which will be announced on Tuesday.
Jordan played the last of 88 T20I internationals at the end of summer 2023 against New Zealand and missed the white-ball tour of the Caribbean in December. However, with Jamie Overton ruled out through injury, Jordan is the beneficiary as a bowler capable of making valuable cameos with the bat further down the order.
ESPNcricinfo understands that Jordan’s retirement is expected to be bad news for Chris Woakes, who is yet to feature for Punjab Kings in the IPL this season. Ben Duckett also made the cut as England’s substitute batsman, and a rare left-hander, while the uncapped Tom Hartley is expected to overtake Rehan Ahmed as the second front-row bowler, behind Adil Rashid.
Jordan brings a wealth of experience, with five previous World Cups under his belt and two seasons as Surrey’s T20 captain. The 35-year-old played two matches in England’s successful 2022 campaign, which was his fourth overall T20 tournament. Although he is likely to feature sparingly in the Caribbean, he remains an exceptional fielder (often used as a substitute) and a willing deadly bowler.
England kept a close eye on Overton over the winter and were interested in him as a true all-rounder. But inconclusive tests for a back injury have led to his exclusion from the provisional team. In his absence, Jordan’s recent improvement with the bat is a relevant factor: since the start of Vitality Blast 2023, he has averaged 30.05 and hit 160.53 in all T20 cricket.
Despite his omission from the England team that lost 3-2 in the T20I series against the West Indies, Jordan had a busy winter, representing Hobart Hurricanes in the BBL, Gulf Giants in the ILT20 and Multan Sultans in the Pakistan Super League . He has not played since March but will prepare for the World Cup with England’s four-match T20I series against Pakistan starting on May 22.
England are expected to pick from the top four, comprising Jos Buttler, Phil Salt, Will Jacks and Jonny Bairstow, all of whom have found form in the IPL. Buttler (twice), Jacks and Bairstow have all hit centuries for their respective franchises, while Salt’s first eight innings gave him three half-centuries and a strike rate of 176.08.
Jofra Archer is also expected to be part of the provisional squad, despite a long-standing elbow injury that has prevented him from playing a competitive match since May 2023.
Although Archer recently admitted that another “stop-start year” could lead him to consider his future at the age of 29, the ECB hopes Pakistan’s four-match series can offer him a return to international cricket, ahead of a campaign in the World Cup which could include a maiden appearance in England in front of his friends and family in his native Barbados. There is a chance he could warm up with some T20 appearances for Sussex’s second XI in the coming weeks.
England will also miss the services of Ben Stokes, their match-winner at both the 2019 (50-over) and 2022 World Cups, who announced last month that he would be unavailable as he continues his rehabilitation following a recent Knee surgery.
Possible England T20 World Cup squad: Jos Buttler (captain), Phil Salt, Will Jacks, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Duckett, Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali (vice-captain), Sam Curran, Chris Jordan, Tom Hartley, Adil Rashid, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, Reece Topley
