England confirm men's T20 World Cup squad as Ben Stokes' absence continues

Tymal Mills returns six years after his last international outing while Chris Woakes and David Willey also make the cut for the tournament

Ben Stokes' continued break from cricket will see him miss the men's T20 World Cup after England confirmed their squad for the tournament in Oman and the United Arab Emirates.

Stokes announced in July his intention to step away from the sport for an indefinite period.

Tymal Mills returns to the fold six years after his last international outing.

The 29-year-old left-arm quick was picked out by captain Eoin Morgan as a potential pick prior to The Hundred.

Mills went on to play a key role in Southern Brave winning the men's tournament. In 141 T20s, he has taken 153 wickets at an economy rate of 7.77.

The Sussex quick seamer will provide cover for Jofra Archer, who will not play again this year due to a long-running elbow injury.

Elsewhere, Chris Woakes and David Willey are the other notable call-ups.

Woakes, who impressed during the curtailed IPL with Delhi Capitals, only returned to the T20I side against Sri Lanka and has only recently regained full fitness following a heel injury.

^{Chris Woakes returned to the T20 side in the summer}

Willey, cruelly omitted from England's 50-over World Cup plans in 2019 at the 11th hour, was also recalled this summer and offers another left-arm pace option.

The spin department is led by Adil Rashid, Moeen Ali and Liam Livingstone, with Matt Parkinson overlooked.

Three members of that victorious England squad from two years ago, James Vince, Liam Dawson and Tom Curran, are named as reserves.

England have until October 10 to finalise their squad. They kick-off their campaign against holders West Indies on October 23 in Dubai.

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."

England squad: Eoin Morgan, Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Tymal Mills, Adil Rashid, Jason Roy, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood

Reserves: Tom Curran, Liam Dawson, James Vince