England Men's Head Coach Chris Silverwood has named Bears all-rounder Chris Woakes in a 15-player preliminary squad for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021 in UAE and Oman.

Sussex fast bowler Tymal Mills returns to the international set-up for the first time since February 2017.

This summer, the left-arm quick has been impressive in the Vitality T20 Blast, where he has helped Sussex reach Finals Day at Edgbaston later this month. He also showcased his skills will great accomplishment in The Hundred, helping Southern Brave lift the trophy in the tournament’s inaugural year.

Durham’s Ben Stokes was not available for selection and continues to take an indefinite break from all cricket to prioritise his mental wellbeing.

England have until 10 October to finalise their squad ahead of the tournament.

England Men’s Head Coach, Chris Silverwood, said: “We are excited about the prospect of challenging to win the ICC T20 World Cup. I believe we have selected a squad that covers all bases and has the depth to be successful in what is expected to be a very competitive tournament featuring the best players in the world.

“Tymal Mills deserves his inclusion and has demonstrated over the past couple of years, but particularly this summer that he has all skills to succeed at this level. His exceptional pace is a standout, and the way he has spearheaded Sussex and Southern Brave’s respective attacks in the short-form game has shown that he relishes the pressures of the big stage. He will add variety to our bowling unit, and we can’t wait to see him play in a major international tournament.”

As part of the team’s build up to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, England are scheduled to play four warm-up matches including a two-match T20I series against Pakistan with both matches due to take place at the Rawalpindi International Stadium on 14-15 October.

Squad

Eoin Morgan (Middlesex) Captain
Moeen Ali (Worcestershire)
Jonathan Bairstow (Yorkshire)
Sam Billings (Kent)
Jos Buttler (Lancashire)
Sam Curran (Surrey)
Chris Jordan (Sussex)
Liam Livingstone (Lancashire)
Dawid Malan (Yorkshire)
Tymal Mills (Sussex)
Adil Rashid (Yorkshire)
Jason Roy (Surrey)
David Willey (Yorkshire)
Chris Woakes (Warwickshire)
Mark Wood (Durham)

Travelling Reserves

Tom Curran (Surrey)
Liam Dawson (Hampshire)
James Vince (Hampshire)