England are hopeful fast bowler Jofra Archer will be fit to play in this summer’s T20 World Cup title defence.
The 28-year-old has not played professional cricket since the recurrence of an elbow injury at the Indian Premier League in May, subsequently missing The Ashes and England’s dismal 50-over World Cup campaign in India.
However, he trained with the squad during December’s white-ball tour of the West Indies and managing director of men’s cricket Rob Key told the BBC’s Tailenders podcast: “Our plan is the T20 World Cup, building him up slowly.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Fans watching a Barbados Cricket Association game got a treat when Archer turned out for his old school team and took four wickets!
“I saw him bowl in the Caribbean and it was like he’d never been away. I don’t want to get back to this thing where he plays and then goes down again.
“He wanted to play in the IPL, but we said not this time. Hopefully the years he has missed he can add to the end of his career. He is such a talent.”
England’s T20 World Cup opener is against Scotland in Barbados on June 4, before they face Australia at the same venue on June 8 and then Oman in Antigua on June 13.
England won the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia, beating Pakistan in the final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Here is what you can look forward to next summer on Sky Sports Cricket, including T20 World Cups and The Hundred.
ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 (June 1-29)
Group stage
- Group A – India, Pakistan, Ireland, Canada, USA
- Group B – England, Australia, Namibia, Scotland, Oman
- Group C – New Zealand, West Indies, Afghanistan, Uganda, Papua New Guinea
- Group D – South Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Netherlands, Nepal
Super 8s
The top two from each of the four groups qualify for the Super 8s. The teams are then split into two further groups of four, with the top two from both then progressing to the semi-finals.
- Group 1 – Group A winners (A1), Group B runners-up (B2), Group C winners (C1), Group D runners-up (D2)
- Group 2 – Group A runners-up (A2), Group B winners (B1), Group C runners-up (C2), Group D winners (D1)
Full fixtures (timings TBC)
Saturday June 1
Group A – USA vs Canada (Dallas)
Sunday June 2
Group C – West Indies vs Papua New Guinea (Guyana)
Group B – Namibia vs Oman (Barbados)
Monday June 3
Group D – Sri Lanka vs South Africa (New York)
Group C – Afghanistan vs Uganda (Guyana)
Tuesday June 4
Group B – England vs Scotland (Barbados)
Group D – Netherlands vs Nepal (Dallas)
Wednesday June 5
Group A – India vs Ireland (New York)
Group C – Papua New Guinea vs Uganda (Guyana)
Group B – Australia vs Oman (Barbados)
Thursday June 6
Group A – USA vs Pakistan (Dallas)
Group B – Namibia vs Scotland (Barbados)
Friday June 7
Group A – Canada vs Ireland (New York)
Group C – New Zealand vs Afghanistan (Guyana)
Group D – Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh (Dallas)
Saturday June 8
Group D – Netherlands vs South Africa (New York)
Group B – Australia vs England (Barbados)
Sunday June 9
Group A – India vs Pakistan (New York)
Group B – Oman vs Scotland (Antigua and Barbuda)
Monday June 10
Group D – South Africa vs Bangladesh (New York)
Tuesday June 11
Group A – Pakistan vs Canada (New York)
Group D – Sri Lanka vs Nepal (Lauderhill)
Group B – Australia vs Namibia (Antigua and Barbuda)
Wednesday June 12
Group A – USA vs India (New York)
Group C – West Indies vs New Zealand (Trinidad and Tobago)
Thursday June 13
Group B – England vs Oman (Antigua and Barbuda)
Group D – Bangladesh vs Netherlands (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)
Group C – Afghanistan vs Papua New Guinea (Trinidad and Tobago)
Friday June 14
Group A – USA vs Ireland (Lauderhill)
Group D – South Africa vs Nepal (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)
Group C – New Zealand vs Uganda (Trinidad and Tobago)
Saturday June 15
Group A – India vs Canada (Lauderhill)
Group B – Namibia vs England (Antigua and Barbuda)
Group B – Australia vs Scotland (Saint Luca)
Sunday June 16
Group A – Pakistan vs Ireland (Lauderhill)
Group D – Bangladesh vs Nepal (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)
Group D – Sri Lanka vs Netherlands (Saint Lucia)
Monday June 17
Group C – New Zealand vs Papua New Guinea (Saint Lucia)
Group C – West Indies vs Afghanistan (Saint Lucia)
Wednesday June 19
Group 2 – A2 vs D1 (Antigua and Barbuda)
Group 2 – B1 vs C2 (Saint Lucia)
Thursday June 20
Group 1 – C1 vs A1 (Barbados)
Group 1 – B2 vs D2 (Antigua and Barbuda)
Friday June 21
Group 2 – B1 vs D1 (Saint Lucia)
Group 2 – A2 vs C2 (Barbados)
Saturday June 22
Group 1 – A1 vs D2 (Antigua and Barbuda)
Group 1 – C1 vs B2 (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)
Sunday June 23
Group 2 – A2 vs B1 (Barbados)
Group 2 – C2 vs D1 (Antigua and Barbuda)
Monday June 24
Group 1 – B2 vs A1 (Saint Lucia)
Group 1 – C1 vs D2 (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)
Knockout stages
Wednesday June 26
Semi-final – Winner of Group 1 vs Runner-up of Group 2 (Guyana)
Thursday June 27
Semi-final – Winner of Group 2 vs Runner-up of Group 1 (Trinidad)
Saturday June 29
Final (Barbados)
How did the teams qualify?
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Uganda’s cricket team celebrated in style after qualifying for the Men’s T20 World Cup for the first time in their history
West Indies and USA earned automatic entry by being hosts, with the latter to now play in the tournament for the first time, while England, Pakistan, New Zealand, India, Australia, South Africa, Netherlands and Sri Lanka secured their places by finishing in the top eight of the previous T20 World Cup in 2022.
Afghanistan and Bangladesh were then included after being the next two highest teams in the T20I rankings, with every other spot determined by regional qualifiers. Ireland and Scotland came through the European section and Papua New Guinea emerged from the East Asia-Pacific Qualifier.
Canada – who will also make their tournament debut – progressed through the Americas Qualifier, while Nepal and Oman are the Asian qualifiers, with Namibia and Uganda coming through the African Qualifier to complete the line-up.
Watch the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup this June live on Sky Sports. Stream the best sport with NOW.