Jofra Archer is in line to make his long-awaited England return in January after he was named in a 14-man squad for the three-match ODI series against South Africa.
The Sussex bowler has not played at senior level since a white-ball tour to India in March 2021, having been sidelined with a succession of injuries since then.
After missing out on T20 World Cup success in November, Archer's return to the fold will be a timely boost in the year England look to defend their 50-over crown and take on Australia in the Ashes.
Mark Wood and Joe Root, as anticipated, are both rested, but there is room for Ben Duckett, who could play his first ODI match since 2016 after impressing upon his Test comeback.
Liam Livingstone, who was injured during England's red-ball series with Pakistan, misses out while Harry Brook will look to win his first ODI cap after a superb multi-format season.
Reece Topley, who is continuing to recovery from injury himself, will hope to join Archer in marking his return to action during the three-game tour, which starts in Bloemfontein on January 27.
A second match at Mangaung Oval follows on January 29, before the final encounter takes place at Kimberley on February 1.
A subsequent Test tour to New Zealand follows.
England ODI squad: Jos Buttler (Lancashire); Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), Jofra Archer (Sussex), Harry Brook (Yorkshire), Sam Curran (Surrey), Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire), Dawid Malan (Yorkshire), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Jason Roy (Surrey), Phil Salt (Lancashire), Olly Stone (Nottinghamshire), Reece Topley (Surrey), David Willey (Yorkshire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire).
IPL: Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, champions again as KKR storm to title after dispatching SRH in style
Kolkata Knight Riders ended their 10-year wait for the Indian Premier League title after a dominant eight-wicket victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday.
KKR had already dispatched of the Sunrisers with an eight-wicket victory in the first qualifier on Tuesday, and pulled off another superb performance to clinch the IPL for a third time.
Mitchell Starc stifled SRH from the start, taking Abhishek Sharma for two runs off five balls before Rahmanullah Gurbaz caught Travis Head for a duck.
In a stellar bowling display, Starc eventually finished with 2-14, while Andre Russell chipped in with a 3-19 late on.
The Sunrisers failed to gain any momentum on a low-scoring day, with Pat Cummins the top scorer with 24 off 19, as SRH finished with a measly 113 all out in the 19th over.
Despite Sunil Narine's early exit, SRH failed to give themselves any hope as Venkatesh Iyer came on to plunder 52 not out from 26 balls, including three boundaries, adding to Gurbaz's 39.
Shreyas Iyer then came on to help KKR over the line with six runs, seeing the win out for his team with 57 balls remaining.
Data Debrief: KKR bowlers come out on top
Russell has taken 18 wickets in the IPL this year, the most he has taken in any edition, going past 17 from 2022.
The Sunrisers registered the lowest-ever run total in an IPL final (batting first or second), beating the previous record of 125.
SRH lost 29 wickets during the powerplay overs in the IPL in 2024, the most by any team in this phase this season; it is also the second most wickets they have lost during the powerplay in a single IPL season (31 in 2013).
Obed McCoy replaces injured Jason Holder in West Indies T20 World Cup squad
In a crucial update ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, Cricket West Indies (CWI) has announced that left-arm fast bowler Obed McCoy will replace Jason Holder in the squad. Holder has been ruled out due to an injury sustained during the County Championship 2024, necessitating a recovery period that prevents his participation in the tournament set to commence on June 1.
The absence of Holder, a seasoned and influential player, is significant. However, CWI remains optimistic about the team's prospects with the inclusion of McCoy. Dr. The Most Hon. Desmond Haynes, Lead Selector of CWI, commented on the development, stating, "Jason is an experienced player in our set-up. His absence will undoubtedly be felt both on and off the field. We look forward to having a fully fit Jason with us again soon."
McCoy’s inclusion is a testament to his impressive form over the past year. Known for his left-arm pace and skillful variations, particularly at the back end of the innings, McCoy was the leading wicket-taker on the West Indies team’s recent tour to Nepal. CWI extends its best wishes to Jason Holder for a speedy recovery and eagerly anticipates his return to the field.
Haynes expressed confidence in McCoy’s abilities, stating, "While it is unfortunate to lose a player of Jason's calibre, we are confident in the abilities of Obed McCoy. Obed has shown remarkable skill and promise in his performances, and this opportunity will allow him to further showcase his talent on the international stage. We believe he will bring a fresh and dynamic energy to the squad."
With this development the updated West Indies squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is as follows:
Rovman Powell (Captain), Alzarri Joseph (Vice Captain), Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Obed McCoy, Gudakesh Motie, Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd.
Additionally, five reserve players have been named, ready to step in if needed: Kyle Mayers, Matthew Forde, Fabian Allen, Hayden Walsh, Andre Fletcher.
Meanwhile, Head Coach Daren Sammy highlighted the depth and quality of the reserve players.
"We are fortunate to have such depth and quality in our ranks. Our reserve players are all A-class talents who have proven their abilities in various formats of the game, but certainly T20. Each one of them is fully capable of slotting into the team seamlessly should the situation arise."
West Indies is placed in Group C of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and will play their first match on June 2 in Guyana against Papua New Guinea. The team remains focused and ready to compete at the highest level, aiming for a strong performance in the tournament.
Buttler tempers Archer expectations despite crashing return in Pakistan triumph
Jofra Archer may not immediately return with the crashing impact he previously had on England, but Jos Buttler is looking forward to utilising the fast bowler after his lengthy injury lay-off.
Rapid pacer Archer capped his first England performance in over a year with two wickets as England secured a 23-run victory over Pakistan in their T20I at Edgbaston.
With the upcoming T20 World Cup on the horizon, England captain Buttler was delighted to have Archer back in the fold – but warned his workload must be managed.
"I thought he was brilliant; you can see the emotion, taking wickets again, is fantastic," said Buttler, who plundered 84 off just 54 deliveries in the first innings to set the tone.
"He's not just going to be the Jofra Archer of old straight away, but a really positive performance.
"It's absolutely trying to get overs into Jofra but looking after him as well. I thought the whole bowling group was brilliant."
Buttler's knock, which included eight fours and three sixes, marked the second-highest score by an England captain in a T20I, behind Eoin Morgan's 91 against New Zealand in 2019.
On his own performance, Buttler added: "You always want to be playing well. I feel like I'm hitting the ball well, which is great."
Pakistan appeared to be setting their chase of 184 up well as Babar Azam crafted a fine 32, along with Fakhar Zaman's quickfire 45 off just 21 balls.
Yet the Pakistan captain fell lbw to Moeen Ali, with Fakhar then holing out off Liam Livingstone to Harry Brook in the deep as the visitors unfurled in Birmingham.
"Mostly we are flexible and everyone knows their role," Babar said after the defeat. "Before the series, we decided to go with these roles, so we're clear.
"The way Fakhar dominated after the early wickets fell. I think if me and Fakhar had batted for four or five more overs, then we could have won."
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