Chris Jordan is set for an England recall as part of their provisional T20 World Cup squad, which will be announced on Tuesday.
Jordan earned his final 88 T20I caps at the end of the 2023 summer against New Zealand. He was unable to participate in the white-ball tour of the Caribbean in December due to an injury. However, with Jamie Overton ruled out due to injury, Jordan is the beneficiary as a bowler capable of valuable cameos with the bat lower down the order.
Jordan's recall is likely to have an adverse impact on Chris Woakes, who has not yet played for the Punjab Kings in the IPL this season. Additionally, Ben Duckett has been selected as a reserve batter for England, representing a unique opportunity for a left-handed player. Tom Hartley, a player who has not yet been capped, is expected to surpass Rehan Ahmed as the second frontline spinner, behind Adil Rashid.
Jordan brings a wealth of experience to the team, having participated in five previous World Cups and served as Surrey's T20 captain for two seasons. The 35-year-old participated in two matches during England's successful 2022 campaign, which marked his fourth appearance in a global 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 death bowler.
England monitored Overton closely throughout the winter period and identified him as a potential all-rounder. However, inconclusive scans on a back injury have resulted in his exclusion from the provisional squad. In his absence, Jordan's recent improvement with the bat is a relevant factor: since the start of the 2023 Vitality Blast, he has averaged 30.05 and struck at 160.53 in all T20 cricket.
Despite his omission from the England squad, 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 be available for the World Cup with England's four-match T20I series against Pakistan from 22 May.
It is anticipated that England will select a top four comprising Jos Buttler, Phil Salt, Will Jacks, and Jonny Bairstow, all of whom have demonstrated form at the IPL. Buttler (twice), Jacks and Bairstow have all achieved centuries for their respective franchises, while Salt's first eight innings resulted in three half-centuries and a strike rate of 176.08.
Jofra Archer is also expected to be included in the provisional squad, despite the fact that he has been unable to play competitively since May 2023 due to a long-standing elbow injury.
Despite Archer's recent admission that another "stop-start year" could lead him to consider his future at the age of 29, the ECB is optimistic that the four-match Pakistan series will offer him a return to international cricket, ahead of a World Cup campaign that could include a maiden England appearance in front of his friends and family in his native Barbados. There is a possibility that he will warm up with some T20 appearances for Sussex's 2nd XI in the coming weeks.
England will also be without the services of Ben Stokes, their match-winner in both the 2019 (50-over) and 2022 World Cups, who announced last month that he would not be available as he continues his rehabilitation following recent knee surgery.
Possible England T20 World Cup squad: Jos Buttler, Phil Salt, Will Jacks, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Duckett, Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Chris Jordan, Tom Hartley, Adil Rashid, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, Reece Topley