Woakes for Stokes

THE absence of Ben Stokes has led to recalls for fellow all-rounders Chris Woakes and David Willey in England’s Twenty20 squad to face Sri Lanka later this month.

Although Stokes has recovered from the finger fracture suffered in the Indian Premier League and is set to play for Durham in the next fortnight, England want him to build match fitness at county level and return for the Pakistan series next month.

That provides a first chance for Woakes in this format for six years and a return for Yorkshire captain Willey, who last played in 2019.

Liam Dawson, the Hampshire slow left-armer, is also back — with three spinners in the 16-man squad.

The two mid-season series represent the final chances for individuals to stake a claim for the Twenty20 World Cup this October.

The three matches versus Sri Lanka begin in Cardiff on June 23. Jofra Archer and Reece Topley, remain sidelined with injuries. ENGLAND SQUAD: Eoin Morgan (captain), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler (wkt), Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Liam Dawson, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Jason Roy, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.