England's T20 World Cup squad: Who's on the plane and who has work to do?

The Cricketer's writers pick their 15-man squads for England's T20 World Cup campaign in Australia next year, following the five-match series against New Zealand

Sam Morshead

You know when you need the pressure of the waiter hovering over your shoulder to actually make a selection? This is one of those occasions. The menu is just so exciting; how on earth do you come to a decision?

Whether it's clean-striking openers, intelligent and daring spinners, or disciplined death bowlers, England are spoiled for choice.

First thing's first, Joe Root does not make this squad unless in the next year he somehow reinvents himself as a world-class finisher - the one area in which this team is a little light. 

Jonny Bairstow's short-form batting over the past 12 months makes him a shoo-in, but with whom will he be paired? Presumably Jos Buttler, but Dawid Malan's absurd record in international T20 is very hard to ignore - if the squad was to be picked today he would have to be included - and Jason Roy on fast and true Australian decks just screams runs.

Then there's Alex Hales. Among the very best T20 openers on the planet, at some point he will surely have to be reintegrated into this squad. To hell with it, I'll have two starters and a fish course... get the lot of them on the plane.

Moeen Ali becomes my floating hitter, capable of starting aggressively against spin, and my campaign to turn Tom Banton into the T20 finisher England desire starts here (though admittedly he'll be doing a lot of drinks-carrying in this particular squad).

Among the bowlers, Sam Curran gets the nod over David Willey in the left-arm allrounder stakes; Adil Rashid only travels if his arm is fully recovered; and Pat Brown deputises for the Currans, Chris Jordan and Jofra Archer in the pace department. 

Yes, that's my order. Give me another five minutes and I'll have changed my mind. Twice.

Mq squad: Morgan, Bairstow, Buttler, Hales, Malan, Roy, Stokes, Moeen, S Curran, Jordan, Rashid, Archer, Brown, Banton, T Curran

^{England won 3-2 in New Zealand}

Nick Howson

England have never had a stronger group of T20 cricketers. The influx of top-class overseas players in the Blast and the sheer number of domestic stars exposed to global franchise leagues around the world means they have a significant pool of talent to select their World Cup squad from.

There were few surprises over the identity of the stand-out figures in New Zealand. Sam Curran is a hugely knowledgable T20 cricketer. Dawid Malan was the third-highest run-scorer in the Blast. Chris Jordan is one of world cricket's most outstanding athletes.

The physicality and relentlessness of a global tournament means there is no space for passengers. Adil Rashid's fitness issues make him unselectable but, in Matt Parkinson, England have a fine replacement. The legspinner will go for runs but his handy knack of taking top-order wickets makes him a valuable asset. Pat Brown's variations meanwhile offers Eoin Morgan something he has seldom possessed; a seamer with unpredictability. 

Joe Root's role has been much-debated but with a strike-rate comparable to many of his teammates and a priceless ability to adapt to perilous situations, he can still be an asset in this format. The ECB need to grow up and recall Alex Hales even if that means the abundantly talented Tom Banton misses out.

My squad: Morgan, Roy, Buttler, Bairstow, Root, Stokes, Hales, Malan, Moeen, S Curran, T Curran, Brown, Jordan, Archer, Parkinson

NOW READ: New Zealand v England T20 report cards - every player graded

Nick Friend

One of the tougher squads England will ever have to pick, such is the enormity of options. This effort means leaving out Joe Root, so effective in England’s run to the final in 2016, as well as a raft of talented youngsters.

I feel almost dirty for not finding space for Tom Banton – let me throw in the caveat that he will come into this squad if his Big Bash spell at Brisbane Heat shows anything like his T20 Blast form.

The same can be said of Pat Brown, who impressed for the most part in New Zealand on some pretty taxing surfaces for an international novice. His potential is enormous – as shown by Eoin Morgan’s willingness to throw him the ball for some of the series’ most important overs.

The search for a finisher goes on. Lewis Gregory, through little fault of his own, struggled to impose himself on the New Zealand series – Sam Curran, though, showed signs in the series-decider that he may have the tools to play the role. Harry Gurney, meanwhile, is one of the franchise circuit’s most coveted death bowlers.

Alex Hales, whether he is likely to be included or not, feels too great a talent to willingly dispense with. He has a chance with Sydney Thunder to serve a timely reminder of his hitting power.

The fragility regarding Adil Rashid’s shoulder issues makes Matt Parkinson all the more important. The Lancashire leg-spinner’s success in New Zealand will have thrilled Morgan. He was expensive, but that was to be expected on small grounds and with the Black Caps – in his second game – chasing a mammoth total. But he remained a wicket-taking threat. In truth, especially given concern over Rashid’s injury, he is the closest of England’s new generation to a place in a first-choice side.

The rest, really, picks itself.

My squad: Archer, Bairstow, Buttler, S Curran, T Curran, Gurney, Hales, Jordan, Malan, Morgan, Moeen, Parkinson, Rashid, Roy, Stokes

^{Will Tom Banton, left, or Matt Parkinson make the T20 World Cup squad?}

Owen Riley

As unnerving as it is to leave out one of England’s greatest batsmen in Joe Root, Dawid Malan has taken to the format like an arrogant duck to water and I don’t see where the Test skipper fits in amidst a wealth of batting talent. England should have enough cool heads in his absence.

In the name of entertainment, Tom Banton - who has shown glimpses of his stratospheric talent, albeit without notching a notable score - gets a gig. Whether he can produce the goods to displace Jonny Bairstow or Jason Roy at the top of the order remains to be seen but let’s get him on the plane.

With the ball, Saqib Mahmood, who has had a tough time of it in New Zealand so far, and Tymal Mills miss the cut. The former may find his chances come in the longer formats. Pat Brown and his bag of tricks gets the nod ahead of the Lancashire man.

Saqib’s county team-mate, Matt Parkinson, has taken a hatful of wickets in white-ball cricket over the past two years and will keep his fellow spinners on their toes.

Sam Curran offers a left-arm option while his finishing ability with the bat makes him a seriously handy option to have in the squad.

My squad: Bairstow, Roy, Banton, Malan, Buttler, Stokes, Morgan, Moeen, S Curran, Rashid, Archer, T Curran, Jordan, Parkinson, Brown

^{Chris Jordan is surely a shoo-in}

Xavier Voigt-Hill

The case for Joe Root’s inclusion is a rather simple one: to be the man with control and substance, steadying the ship while more destructive colleagues lash the ball to all parts around him. But there’s one man with vastly more experience and a vastly better record playing the same role, and it would simply be foolish for England to keep ignoring him.

Since Sussex started deploying Laurie Evans at first drop last July, he has accumulated more T20 runs than Root has in his entire eight-year career, tallied twice as many 50+ scores as Eoin Morgan, and struck over 200 in the last six overs of a chase. Averaging 68.22 in the process, Evans was the only man to break the 600 run barrier in the 2018 Blast, and the franchise spotlight that followed has seen him make similar impacts the world over: APL, BPL, CPL, etc.

If the T20s in New Zealand have taught us anything, it’s that Chris Jordan truly ascends to another stratosphere with an England shirt on, and Somerset’s Tom Banton and Lewis Gregory didn’t have enough of an opportunity to conclusively prove they shouldn’t make the trip. 

Finally, Matt Parkinson clearly outshone the injury-riddled Adil Rashid in the legspin department, and taking him to Australia is a far more sensible long-term play. Spin doesn’t have a great track record down under – in last year’s Big Bash, only Steve O’Keefe and Rashid Khan were among the top 10 wicket-takers – so I’d take Moeen Ali as the second spinner, further bolstering the batting.

My squad: Morgan, Moeen, Archer, Bairstow, Banton, Buttler, S Curran, T Curran, Evans, Gregory, Jordan, Malan, Parkinson, Roy, Stokes