5 England players who were part of 2022 T20 World Cup squad but missed out for 2024 edition ft. Ben Stokes
Defending champions England became the third team after South Africa and New Zealand to announce their squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024, beginning on June 1 in West Indies and USA.
The squad that was shoulders and above the rest in the previous edition had undergone some changes as they gear up to go where no team has.
Jofra Archer is the most notable addition to the squad for the upcoming edition as the right-arm speedster has recovered from his long-standing elbow injury to find himself on the cusp of international return. Chris Woakes, one of the best new-ball bowlers, is a prominent omission. However, he is not the only one missing from England's 2022 World Cup-winning squad.
Below are the players who played in England's 2022 World Cup campaign but aren't part of the upcoming edition.
5) David Willey
With David Willey not being offered a central contract, the left-arm seamer announced that he will retire from international cricket after the 2023 World Cup. The veteran cricketer expressed agitation at the selectors regardin the same. The Warwickshire seamer was one of the handful of seamers in England's 2022 World Cup squad along with Chris Woakes, Reece Topley, Sam Curran, Chris Jordan, and Mark Wood.
However, he warmed the bench in the entire tournament despite delivering promising performances during the series against Australia before the showpiece event. Willey made his T20I debut in 2015 and has picked up 51 wickets, averaging 23.13 along with a four-wicket haul.
4) Dawid Malan
Dawid Malan entered into the 2022 T20 World Cup as one of England's mainstays and became the glue that held them together. However, the left-handed batter didn't have a tournament to be proud of despite performing well in the T20I series against Australia. The World Cup saw him score only 56 runs in four games at 28 with a best of 35.
A groin injury kept Malan out of the final against Pakistan, which the Englishmen won with some difficulty. Yet, the southpaw played a few more T20Is after the marquee final, the last of which came in September 2023. However, the selectors seemed to have moved on from across formats after the 2023 World Cup and is unlikely to make a comeback.
3) Chris Woakes
Chris Woakes is yet another player who has missed out on the squad for the upcoming 2024 T20 World Cup. The right-arm seamer performed decently in the 2022 edition, picking up five wickets in six matches at 34.40, especially doing well in both the semi-final, dismissing KL Rahul cheaply.
The veteran seamer had a decent tour of the West Indies, but seemed to not have convinced the selectors of his new-ball prowess for the conditions. As a result, they have omitted Woakes and have recalled Chris Jordan along with the seamers in Jofra Archer, Reece Topley, Mark Wood, and Sam Curran.
2) Alex Hales
One of the chief architechts of England's 2022 T20 World Cup win, Alex Hales delivered an impactful performance after coming in as an injury replacement for Jonny Bairstow. Hales utilized his experience in Australia to significant effect, accumulating 212 runs in six matches, averaging 42.40. He forged a formidable opening partnership with Jos Buttler as it formed a bulding block of their victory.
However, Hales retired from international cricket in August 2023, expressing his desire to dedicate himself to franchise cricket fully. The right-hander has a strong T20I record, hammering 2074 runs in 75 appearances at 30.95 with a solitary century and 12 half-centuries.
1) Ben Stokes
Star all-rounder and England Test skipper Ben Stokes opted out of T20 World Cup selection, weeks before the squad announcement to concentrate on bringing himself back to full fitness ahead of the Test summer. The Durham cricketer indeed has had a storied career when it comes to T20 World Cups.
The 32-year-old experienced a heartbreak when he conceded 4 consecutive sixes in the final against the West Indies in the 2016 T20 World Cup. However, the left-hander anchored England to victory with an unbeaten fifty when they faced a tricky run-chase of 139 against Pakistan on a spicy MCG pitch.