England could make as many as three changes to their initial World Cup squad when the selectors meet in London on Monday afternoon before the announcement on Tuesday morning.
England completed a 4-0 series win over Pakistan on Sunday and arrive at the World Cup, which begins when they play South Africa at the Oval next Thursday, in prime form.
Still, tweaks are certain to be made to the provisional 15-man squad announced last month. Jofra Archer will be called up and Alex Hales, dropped for serving a drugs ban, will need replacing, while Liam Dawson’s county form (18 wickets and 274 runs in nine One-Day Cup matches) brings him strongly into the equation.
James Vince is almost certain to replace Hales, David Willey is likely to be the bowler to make way for Archer, while Dawson - who has been named in Hampshire’s XI to face Nottinghamshire on the Isle of Wight - could pip Joe Denly to the final spot, set to go to a spin-bowling utility player.
There is a slim chance that Willey will survive at Denly’s expense. Coach Trevor Bayliss admitted that the series win, completed by Chris Woakes’s five for 54 in a 54-run win at Headingley, had created more selection headaches.
All of the bowlers under threat from Archer shone at one stage or another. Bayliss, captain Eoin Morgan and selectors Ed Smith and James Taylor meet on Monday afternoon to finalise their squad.
“It’s going to be a difficult position and everyone will feel for whoever misses out,” said Bayliss.
“We have 17 players and Morgs and I would be happy with any of them in the squad. It is good to go into a World Cup having played in the fashion we have done this series."
Morgan encouraged those not selected to stay ready in case of injuries.
“Unfortunately we can only select 15,” he said. “But the nature of high-performance sport is that there will be injuries along the way, so they could yet be involved.”
