Archer was initially expected to make his comeback during the T20 World Cup, which starts for England against Nepal on February 8. However, he has been fast-tracked into the Sri Lanka series and will immediately feature in the series opener in Kandy. He joins Jamie Overton and Sam Curran as England’s pace bowling options, complementing a line-up that continues to rely heavily on spin.
Ben Duckett, meanwhile, will miss the first T20I after suffering a bruised right index finger during England’s win in the third ODI in Colombo on Tuesday. Duckett, who has not played T20 cricket for England since last summer’s series against the West Indies, injured himself while taking a catch in the deep.
Jos Buttler will open the batting, marking his record-equaling 401st appearance in an England shirt, while Tom Banton will bat at number four. England will hope their mix of pace and spin, boosted by the return of Archer, will give them an edge in the opening match of the series against a strong Sri Lankan side.
“We have a good record in recent years and we need to carry that momentum into the World Cup. The key for us is a series win here. Every series win away from home is valuable and we are really looking forward to the first match,” said Salt.
“The middle order is never the easiest place to bat, but we have versatile guys with very high strike rates who can take away the opposition’s play. If you look at someone like Harry Brook, he has shown everyone what he is capable of in the last game,” he added.
England XI for first T20I vs Sri Lanka:
Phil Salt, Jos Buttler (wicketkeeper), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Harry Brook (captain), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid.
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