Chris Woakes
Chris Woakes Image Credit: Reuters

The all-rounder troika of Chris Woakes, David Willey, and Liam Dawson have been recalled to England’s T20I squad to face Sri Lanka later this month. Eoin Morgan’s side will host the Islanders for 3 T20Is (on June 23, 24, 26) followed by 3 ODIs (June 29, July 1, 4).

Chris Woakes, who was a crucial part of England’s 2019 World Cup-winning team, hasn’t played a T20I since 2015; David Willey, who missed out on the World Cup selection due to the fast-tracked inclusion of Jofra Archer, hasn’t played a T20I for 2 years now, and  Liam Dawson gets a call-up after three years.

David Willey
David Willey. (Photo by Philip Brown/Popperfoto via Getty Images)

These players are been included in absence of Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer, and Reece Topley, who all are ruled out through injury and are recovering from it. The recalls to the three mentioned players mean Saqib Mahmood, Lewis Gregory, and Matt Parkinson, who all three have been on the fringes of selection over the last two years, were left out.

Another notable exclusion is Joe Root, who hasn’t been recalled to the T20I after last playing a T20I match just before the 2019 World Cup. The IPL players,- Jos Buttler, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran, Moeen Ali – who were rested from the New Zealand Test series, make their England return.

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The players will assemble by June 19 in Cardiff, where the first T20I will be played. The Three Lions are coming off a close loss to India; Sri Lanka, too, lost their last T20I series to West Indies.

With an eye on the T20 World Cup later in the year – either in India or the UAE probably – England have several T20I matches to put up their final squad. They host Sri Lanka and Pakistan for three T20Is each and three ODIs each.

After the home Test series against India, the Three Lions are expected to tour Bangladesh and Pakistan ahead of the T20 World Cup.

Chris Silverwood, England coach
England head coach Chris Silverwood (Photo: Sky Sports)
“With the T20 World Cup only a few months away, this summer is about perfecting our team and continue to progress on the field. We want to approach every series with an influx of players aiming to win every match and giving us the best preparation as we get closer to the tournament,” head coach Chris Silverwood said.
“With several high-profile players missing through injury, it allows me to look at some of our experienced players who have not featured at this level for some time. The likes of Chris Woakes and David Willey are very experienced cricketers, and to have them both in the mix is exciting and shows the depth of squad we have available.”

“I want our team to play an attacking form of the game. I hope we can continue to excite the England fans with our approach,” he added.

England squad for Sri Lanka T20I series:

Eoin Morgan (C), Moeen Ali, Jonathan Bairstow, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Liam Dawson, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Jason Roy, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.

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