England close to the side we're looking for T20 WC: Matthew Mott

Tarouba, Dec 21 Matthew Mott, the England coach, has expressed his intention to provide ample opportunity for star players Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer to recuperate from their injuries ahead of the upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup, aiming for their potential inclusion in the squad.

The duo are currently on the sidelines and recovering from their respective injury complaints, with Stokes having undergone surgery on his knee following this year's ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup and Archer still battling his long-term shoulder problem.

Recognizing the crucial role that the duo plays in the team, Mott acknowledges their significance and is willing to keep two spots available for them while finalising England's squad of 15. This strategic move aligns with their aim to defend the T20 World Cup title in the USA and Caribbean slated for June next year.

"I think that's a given. Mott said of whether the duo would be in the mix for World Cup selection, as quoted by ICC website.

"Ben, aside from his incredible match-winning ability in every department, gives us that ability to have a seam bowler in your top six that gives you so many options with your team balance...It makes selection a hell of a lot easier. So that's a given.

"In terms of Jofra, you've just got absolute box-office pace, change of pace, bowl any over in the innings. Bowl your Super Over, bowl your last over when they need to. Him on the park is massive, everyone would agree with that," he said.

With less than six months until the start of the ninth edition of the T20 World Cup, Mott believes he is closing in on what England's squad will look like for next year's tournament.

"We always said with this (West Indies) series we'll go pretty close to the side we're looking for, otherwise why would they be here? "We don't get many opportunities to play together before the World Cup. So this is a very strong team we've bought out here," Mott said.

Although defending the T20 World Cup is a top priority for England in 2024, their current attention is fixed on securing victory in the fifth and decisive game of the ongoing T20I series against the West Indies.

England levelled the series at 2-2 on the back of Phil Salt's second consecutive century in Trinidad on Tuesday, with the in-form right-hander currently putting together a strong case to open the batting for England alongside skipper Jos Buttler at next year's T20 World Cup.

"It's looking pretty good, isn't it?" Mott remarked when asked about the Salt-Buttler pairing at the top of England's batting order.

"We've got a lot of time between now and then. Salty has put an undeniable case there and Jos is one of the greatest of all time. So how we get that top six or seven going will be an interesting thing," he added.