Who gets on the T20 World Cup plane? Our writers select their England squads

The England T20 World Cup squad is set to be named at 11am BST on Thursday. Here, SAM MORSHEAD, NICK HOWSON, NICK FRIEND and ELIZABETH BOTCHERBY select their 15-man parties, plus three travelling reserves...

NICK HOWSON

There are some pieces of the T20 World Cup jigsaw for Eoin Morgan to find a place for ahead of this tournament. But unlike two years ago, they don't surround who is going to carry drinks.

Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes are not easily replaced for a reason - they are world-class operators. That said, Tymal Mills as a death bowling option is hard to ignore six years removed from his last international outing.

Stokes' absence is less easily covered but it does provide clarity regarding the starting XI. Sam Billings has been knocking on the door and will be another shrewd addition to the leadership group. Fitness permitting, Saqib Mahmood bowled himself into contention over the summer with a vice-like grip on Babar Azam.

Morgan doesn't have the spin resources to compete with the likes of India so should resist trying to convince us otherwise. That said, Matt Parkinson is more than just a millennial darling and deserves to be let off the leash.

In reserve, George Garton feels like a sensible secondary left-arm option given Mills' fitness history. James Vince is one of the year's highest T20 run-scorers and Liam Dawson is a solid back-up if the worst should happen.

My squad: Eoin Morgan, Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Saqib Mahmood, Tymal Mills, Matt Parkinson, Adil Rashid, Jason Roy, Mark Wood

Reserves: Liam Dawson, George Garton, James Vince

^{Chris Jordan and Tymal Mills: Both T20 World Cup bound}

SAM MORSHEAD

(Before we start, a disclaimer: this is the squad I would love to see, not the squad that is realistically going to be picked. And with that...)

A lot of this squad picks itself, though there is a little intrigue - particularly following India's selection on Wednesday - over how many spin options are employed by Chris Silverwood and Eoin Morgan.

India only picked three out-and-out quicks for the World Cup in the UAE, suggesting we might be in for turning tracks for this year's tournament.

England are without Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer, which also poses something of a selection dilemma.

That said, they still have perhaps the most varied set of bowling options and an incredibly powerful batting unit (I'm picking Alex Hales, because... well, come on...)

For spin, read Moeen (who also provides elite-level hitting against spin in a flexible middle order), the terrific Adil Rashid, Matt Parkinson and his too-slow leg-spin, and Liam Livingstone's very competent variations. 

For pace, see Mark Wood, Saqib Mahmood and Tymal Mills - a real mix of enforcement and death excellence. The opening powerplay is perhaps of most concern, but expect to see Morgan turn to spin more than normal here. Chris Jordan's bucket hands make the cut, but there's no space for Tom Curran. 

The final place in this squad was between the left-arm of David Willey and James Vince - who is in some pretty fine short-format form and can't stop winning tournaments (Big Bash, PSL and The Hundred in the space of 10 months).

Pick Vince, and I'm missing a second left-arm option. Don't pick him, and my squad would be without James Vince. Unthinkable. And so I'm left with perhaps one seamer too few but with a big smile on my face.

My squad: Eoin Morgan, Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Alex Hales, James Vince, Moeen Ali, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood, Saqib Mahmood, Tymal Mills, Matt Parkinson, Chris Jordan, Sam Curran

Reserves: Dawid Malan, David Willey, Sam Billings

^{Liam Livingstone is in sensational form}

NICK FRIEND

Most of England’s T20I side picks itself, which makes exercises like this quite routine. It might have been slightly complicated by Ben Stokes’ expected absence, but the form of Liam Livingstone over the summer has made him a shoo-in, providing a sixth bowling option – and the third spinner that England might need in the United Arab Emirates. Dawid Malan’s position, certainly, looks much more secure without Stokes.

Otherwise, England’s top six is England’s top six. In what order, perhaps there is a bit more doubt, but the likelihood remains that they will line up with a batting axis of Buttler-Roy-Malan-Bairstow-Morgan-Livingstone – or a variation to that effect. Therefore, the solitary decision in that department surrounds the reserve who – for me – would be James Vince, though there are sturdy cases for Sam Billings, Phil Salt, Ben Duckett and several others in this crazy era of English white-ball batting.

As for the bowlers, this has also been simplified by the injury to Jofra Archer. Tymal Mills must be included – and must play. He adds world-class skills at the death and a point of difference as a rapid left-armer with a greater reliance on slower balls than yorkers on surfaces that, as the tournament progresses and the pitches wear, may well suit him. Matt Parkinson is my spare spinner, possibly even playing alongside Adil Rashid if the surfaces permit.

Pace notwithstanding, he really is a high-class bowler. Saqib Mahmood is my spare seamer, having enjoyed a terrific summer. He is the closest thing to Mark Wood at England’s disposal, should the Durham man break down or require resting. I’d take David Willey for his new-ball wickets over Sam Curran, which leaves no place for him or brother Tom. They will surely include Chris Woakes in some capacity, though, or there would have been no logical reason for bringing him back into the T20I fold over the summer.

I’ll chuck in Benny Howell as a travelling reserve, purely because this England side feels so well covered in most areas that picking an uncapped bolter on the back of a terrific Hundred campaign doesn’t feel like a totally outrageous thing to do. See also, George Garton, Jake Lintott and Joe Clarke.

My squad: Jos Buttler, Jason Roy, Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow, Eoin Morgan, Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Chris Jordan, Adil Rashid, Tymal Mills, Mark Wood, Matt Parkinson, James Vince, Saqib Mahmood, David Willey

Reserves: Sam Billings, Chris Woakes, Benny Howell

^{Will Matt Parkinson make the cut?}

ELIZABETH BOTCHERBY

Eoin Morgan, Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Chris Jordan, Adil Rashid, Jason Roy and Mark Wood are self-explanatory selections and would waltz into most T20 squads.  

Liam Livingstone is a shoo-in following his performances in the Blast, The Hundred and against Pakistan. Explosive, comfortable in any role from opener to finisher, and also a handy right-arm spinner.  

Sam Curran is included because of his economical powerplay bowling and much improved batting. Tom Curran also makes the cut as a death bowling option and finisher with the bat, edging out David Willey (reserve) thanks to a solid performance against Pakistan at Headingley. Neither brother makes the best XI. 

Saqib Mahmood, for his raw speed, and Tymal Mills, for his death bowling, join Jordan and Wood in the pace department while Matt Parkinson offers an extra spin option, possibly bowling in tandem with Rashid in the UAE’s spin-friendly conditions. His inclusion forces Sam Billings into the reserves, with Bairstow promoted to back-up gloveman. 

Dawid Malan, the ICC’s number one-ranked T20 batter, retains his place in the squad, but not necessarily the XI, based on reputation alone. And as for the final reserve, much as I’d like to offer up Alex Hales or Benny Howell, white-ball man of the moment and top-order batter, James Vince, is as radical as I’m feeling.  

Should Ben Stokes return, Tom Curran would drop out of the main squad.   

My squad: Eoin Morgan, Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Saqib Mahmood, Dawid Malan, Matt Parkinson, Adil Rashid, Jason Roy, Tymal Mills, Mark Wood 

Reserves: Sam Billings, David Willey, James Vince 

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