England announced their provisional squad for the T20 World Cup 2026, hosted in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8, led by Harry Brook. Players like Mark Wood, Gus Atkinson, and Liam Livingstone were omitted from the 15-member group.
Mark Wood’s Exclusion Due to Injury
Mark Wood is out of the tournament mainly due to ongoing injuries, like a recurring problem in his left knee that kept him sidelined during the Ashes 2025-26 series. At age 35, his history of physical issues has made him unavailable, so England is turning to Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue for their fast bowling attack.
Gus Atkinson’s Injury Impact
Gus Atkinson got a left hamstring injury during the fourth Ashes Test in Melbourne. This means he’ll miss the rest of the series and likely won’t be picked for the T20 World Cup. Scans confirmed he’s out completely, with no replacement named, and it hurts his recent match fitness for white-ball cricket.
Liam Livingstone Dropped for Poor Form
Liam Livingstone was dropped due to his bad recent performances. He made just 74 runs in 5 matches in 2025, with an average of 14.80. Despite SRH buying him for ₹13 crore for IPL 2026, he hasn’t been consistent in T20s, so selectors chose players like Jacob Bethell and Liam Dawson.
Will these bold gambles succeed by February, or will experience win out in the end?
Also Read: India’s best T20I XI not selected for the 2026 World Cup
England Squad for T20 World Cup 2026
Harry Brook (captain), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Josh Tongue, Luke Wood.
