T20 World Cup: England players to watch

The 2024 T20 World Cup is fast approaching and England head into the tournament as defending champions following their success in Australia in 2022.

Matthew Mott has named his provisional 15-man squad that will be travelling to the Caribbean and there are 10 survivors from the team that became the first men’s side to hold both limited-overs World Cups simultaneously.

A notable absentee is Test captain Ben Stokes, who has opted against participating in this summer's World Cup to prioritise red-ball cricket ahead of a busy few months.

We've taken a look at the players who could play major roles in England's upcoming tournament.

Jofra Archer

It's been a nightmare few years for Jofra Archer.

The fast bowler has not featured in a competitive fixture of any format since May last year after a recurrence of the stress fracture in his elbow that's blighted him since 2020.

England have pursued a cautious approach with his rehabilitation and now Archer will be looking to prove his fitness in the warm-up series against Pakistan before heading out to the West Indies.

If he's fit and firing, the 29-year-old will be a vital weapon in England's bowling attack. A player of Archer's calibre and skillset is an increasingly rare commodity; he's proven he's got the mental fortitude to handle the big occasions and deliver at the death.

Archer on a redemption mission is a frightening prospect. Let's hope his body holds up.

Will Jacks

Will Jacks can be a real asset for England with both bat and ball in the World Cup.

The Surrey all-rounder has demonstrated his batting prowess in overseas T20 leagues, scoring two 41-ball centuries in the SA20 and IPL. The latter even left a certain Virat Kohli in awe as they put up an unbeaten 166-run partnership.

Not only is Jacks explosive with the bat but he is handy with the ball, showcasing his ability in the ODI series against West Indies in December with a stunning spell of match-turning off spin to take figures of three for 13.

This will be his first ICC World tournament and he will be desperate to cement his position as a regular feature in England's white-ball sides.

Ben Duckett

A mainstay in Brendan McCullum's Test team, Ben Duckett has often been on the fringes of the T20 setup but in the wake of Stokes' absence, he could be the man to anchor England's batting order.

The squad has plenty of big-hitters within the camp and while Duckett is not one who can clear the ropes with ease, his precision and field manipulation make him a vital asset. Plus England are scarce of left-handed options with Dawid Malan now falling out of favour.

Duckett's career Twenty20 tally stands at over 4,500 runs and he boasts a 145 strike-rate in a dozen T20 internationals. He recently showed his class, albeit in a red-ball format, with a sublime double century in Nottinghamshire's County Championship win over Warwickshire.

Now aged 29, he's accumulated a wealth of experience that can help England in the tournament.

Sam Curran

Sam Curran was named Player of the Tournament at the 2022 T20 World Cup and he will be a pivotal influence in England's quest to defend their crown this summer.

Whether it was picking up wickets with the new ball, scoring quick runs in the lower order or becoming England's most valuable bowler at the death, Curran's versatility stood out above all else in Australia.

England will be relying on his death bowling expertise. In the previous tournament, he bowled 40 balls between the 17th and 20th over and took seven wickets, conceding just 34 runs and one boundary.

The all-rounder has come in for criticism following a disappointing IPL campaign for the Punjab Kings but he silenced those doubters in his final match with an excellent display in the win over Rajasthan Royals.

Tom Hartley

Tom Hartley has enjoyed an astronomical rise in 2024.

Named in the Test squad for the tour of India, he claimed a magnificent seven wickets on debut to inspire one of the England's greatest overseas victories at Hyderabad.

Four months on, he will feature in his first ICC World tournament, despite not making a single appearance in the T20 format for his country. England's preference of a left-armed spinner to supplement Adil Rashid favoured Hartley over Rehan Ahmed.

Averaging 26.5 in his 82 games with an economy rate of 8.5, Hartley has a respectable record in his domestic T20 career and, similarly to Curran, his ability to rack up runs at the lower order could prove invaluable in the latter stages of the tournament.