England selector Luke Wright hints at England's 2023 World Cup squad; Jofra Archer misses out
England's chief selector and former all-rounder Luke Wright has confirmed that the ODI squad that plays against New Zealand is likely to be the same that travels to India for the ODI World Cup in October this year.
The two 15-man squads to be led by Jos Buttler is set to play four ODIs and three T20Is against New Zealand, after which the ODI bunch is intended to travel to India for the showpiece event.
Jofra Archer still seems to be in a race against time to make it to the final squad, the deadline for which is September 28.
Here's what Luke Wright had to tell the reporters about why Archer wasn't named:
"We know how desperate we all are to have him - there's no doubt about that - but we've also got to get it right for him. He's been very unfortunate with these injuries.. regarding the World Cup, unfortunately, we're just running out of time. Best-case scenario for Jof really at the moment would probably be [that he is] available for the back-end of the tournament."
Wright further added:
"This is the squad we are going to put forward. It's incredibly hard on some players that are going to miss out. It shows the strength and depth we have in English Cricket and there are other names who are knocking on the door as well. With the balance of the squad, and with only fifteen that you can name it's incredibly tough."
Luke Wright on Ben Stokes' ODI return for England
Luke Wright is also delighted that all-rounder Ben Stokes agreed to reverse his retirement decision and make his comeback to the ODI format. His ability to come good in big matches is likely to give the defending champions a significant edge over others.
On this, Wright stated:
“The return of Ben Stokes only adds to that quality with his match-winning ability and leadership. I am certain that every fan will enjoy seeing him back in an England ODI shirt again."
England's provisional World Cup squad: Jos Buttler (c), Moeen Ali, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Reece Topley, David Willey, Mark Wood, Chris Woakes.