Chris Woakes back in England T20I squad for Sri Lanka series, Ben Stokes not considered

LONDON: All-rounder Chris Woakes has returned to England Twenty20 International setup for the first time since 2015 after the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced the squad for the three-match series against Sri Lanka beginning in Cardiff on June 23.

Woakes' last international cap in this format came in November 2015 against Pakistan.

Seamer David Willey, who last played at this level in May 2019, will be looking to add to his 28 caps, while spinner Liam Dawson, who last played a T20I for England in February 2018 in New Zealand, is one of three specialist spinners named in the squad on Saturday.

All-rounder Ben Stokes (fractured finger), Sussex seamer Jofra Archer (right elbow) and Surrey's Reece Topley (side strain) were not considered for selection due to injuries.

England head coach Chris Silverwood, said, "With the T20 World Cup only a few months away, this summer is about perfecting our team and continue to progress on the field. We want to approach every series with an influx of players aiming to win every match and giving us the best preparation as we get closer to the tournament.

"With several high-profile players missing through injury, it allows me to look at some of our experienced players who have not featured at this level for some time. The likes of Chris Woakes and David Willey are very experienced cricketers, and to have them both in the mix is exciting and shows the depth of squad we have available."

The squad will report to its Cardiff base on June 19.

The Squad: Eoin Morgan (capt), Moeen Ali, Jonathan Bairstow, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Liam Dawson, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Jason Roy, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood