England's Cricket World Cup squad: Reece Topley reveals all about each player from Ben Stokes to Jos Buttler

Summary

England to play in Men's Cricket World Cup in India
Jos Buttler's side will aim to defend trophy they won by beating New Zealand in 2019
Commentary on every game, plus in-play clips and text updates on BBC Sport website & app
All stats correct as of 29 September

Live Reporting

Callum Matthews and Matthew Henry

Liam Livingstonepublished at 11:52 British Summer Time 4 October 2023
Age: 30 | Born: Barrow-in-Furness | Role: Batting all-rounder
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Liam Livingstone was another name that was touted by fans as one that could drop out of the provisional squad but an impressive series against New Zealand, including 95 not out in the second ODI, saw him keep his place.
Livingstone was part of the T20 World Cup squad that triumphed in Australia last summer and offers England high skill in all three facets of the game.
The right-hander will bat in the middle order and will look to finish games off or propel England to a match-winning total.
He also has the rare ability to bowl off-spin and leg-spin, which could be crucial considering the variable boundary sizes in India.
The Lancashire man is a superb fielder so England will be hopeful that across the tournament Livingstone, who has tonnes of experience of playing in India in the IPL, can win them games.
The multi-skilled all-rounderpublished at 11:51 British Summer Time 4 October 2023
Liam Livingstone in three pictures
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Liam Livingstone's first England appearance came in a T20 series against South Africa in 2017. However he struggled, making 16 off 18 balls on debut, before getting a first-ball duck in his second game. It meant that he had to wait over three-and-a-half years until his next appearance, when he made his ODI debut against India. The Lancashire man has since become a regular in both white-ball formats and made his Test debut against Pakistan last December.
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Livingstone was a doubt for last year's T20 World Cup success in Australia because of an ankle injury but he recovered in time to play all six matches. He scored 55 runs across the tournament, but was not out on three occasions, including in the final. He also chipped in with three wickets and six catches, showing his ability to impact every game in at least one facet.
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Livingstone went into the series against New Zealand in September with some doubts over his place but 52 in the first game and 95 not out in the second effectively secured his involvement. The 95 saw Livingstone produce a mature performance with England in trouble at 55-5. He started slowly, reaching 24 off 32 balls but accelerated to finish unbeaten on 95 off 78 balls. Livingstone has been criticised for a lack of game awareness at times so this was a timely showing from the all-rounder.
'Outspoken in the changing room & on the bus'published at 11:51 British Summer Time 4 October 2023
Reece Topley
England fast bowler on Liam Livingstone
Livi thinks he is the best golfer, the best Call of Duty player and the best at pig (the one-bounce football game they play in warm-ups).
He is one of the more outspoken lads in the changing room and on the bus.
He is an amazing player and he'll bring us an X-Factor with his bowling and batting.
He hits a long ball on the golf course, just like he does with the bat. It is a shame that the fans can't see that.
He is quite tight with Sam Curran so those two are never far away from each other.
Moeen Alipublished at 11:51 British Summer Time 4 October 2023
Age: 36 | Born: Birmingham | Role: Middle-order batter & off-spinner
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Moeen Ali is looking for his third World Cup success with England, after featuring in the 2019 50-over win and last year's T20 triumph.
The left-handed batter has been up and down the order in all three formats of the game for England but will likely come in at six or seven in this tournament and be challenged to score late-order runs.
England do like to mix up their batting line-up so they have a right-left combination in white-ball cricket so Moeen could be promoted up the order if Dawid Malan or Ben Stokes miss any games.
He is likely to play a bigger role with his off-spin in this tournament though, with him particularly good at tying down left-handers. That could prove crucial for England with some grounds smaller than others in India.
Moeen has played 59 games in the Indian Premier League so should be able to adjust conditions quickly.
He will also be a sounding board for Jos Buttler in his role of vice-captain and is often seen speaking to the bowlers with Buttler behind the stumps. That could become even more prominent in India due to the noisy, vibrant atmosphere the passionate fans create.
The calm and wise headpublished at 11:51 British Summer Time 4 October 2023
Moeen Ali in three pictures
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Moeen Ali made both of this white-ball debuts on a tour of West Indies in February 2014. A Test debut followed against Sri Lanka in the summer of 2014 with Moeen's off-spin seeing him come into the side, despite many people seeing him as a batting all-rounder at the time.
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Moeen has been a regular for England across formats since his debuts, but particularly in white-ball cricket. However with the 2019 World Cup on home soil, and pitches not that conducive to spin, Moeen found himself only playing five of the 11 games in the tournament. He scored 75 runs and took five wickets in the tournament.
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Moeen Ali became a double World Cup winner last winner when he was part of the side that won the T20 tournament in Australia. Moeen hit a counter-attacking 19 off 13 balls in the final as England struggled in pursuit of 138 against Pakistan, before Ben Stokes saw them over the line with an over to spare. Moeen was sparingly used with the ball, only bowling two overs in the tournament, and scored 57 runs. He flourished in the vice-captaincy role though, often speaking to the bowlers while Jos Buttler kept wicket.
'The people's favourite'published at 11:50 British Summer Time 4 October 2023
Reece Topley
England fast bowler on Moeen Ali
Mo is one of the older guys here and he is one of the leaders. He's done so much.
He's similar to Livi in the way that he brings so much with the bat and ball. It is hard for him to stay out of the game because he is world-class with bat and ball.
He is the people's favourite. He is a fan's favourite because of the way he plays cricket. He plays with the right intention and attitude and everyone seems to love that and gel with it.
He is really tight with Adil Rashid so those two are usually hanging around somewhere. They are in each other's room all the time.
He's great to talk to about cricket. He's a pretty open book, so it always good to chat to him about anything. There is no subject that Mo won't have an opinion about.
He's a Liverpool fan so when the football is on it is quite nice that we have groups that watch the games. It can be quite late over here though.
If something does crop up with Jos Buttler and he has to take the captaincy he's done it before so it will be a seamless transition. It's good to have that plan in place. We don't know what will be thrown up in this tournament.
Chris Woakespublished at 11:50 British Summer Time 4 October 2023
Age: 34 | Born: Birmingham | Role: Bowling all-rounder
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Often labelled as "The Nicest Man in Cricket", Chris Woakes has seen it all.
The pace bowler was part of the 2019 squad that triumphed against New Zealand at Lord's, and was part of the T20 World Cup-winning team last winter despite suffering with injuries throughout the build-up.
Known for his accuracy and ability to move the ball at the top of the innings, Woakes will be a key part of England's side if they are able to defend their title.
He may also be used in the death overs, and will likely add helpful lower-order runs with the bat throughout the tournament too.
Woakes has often struggled overseas, particularly in red-ball cricket, but may find adapting to Indian conditions easier than other countries because of his experience in the Indian Premier League.
The king of swingpublished at 11:49 British Summer Time 4 October 2023
Chris Woakes in three pictures
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Chris Woakes (left) made his ODI and T20 debut on a tour of Australia in 2011, with a Test cap following against Australia in the 2013 Ashes at The Oval. Woakes has played plenty of cricket for England but has found opportunities harder to come by in Test cricket because of the prolonged excellence of James Anderson and Stuart Broad and his difficulties overseas. Woakes also went six years without playing a T20 between 2015 and 2021 but has consistently been a regular in the ODI side with his accuracy and ability to move the new ball appreciated.
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Woakes was an ever present when England won the 2019 World Cup on home soil. He picked up 16 wickets throughout the tournament, and chipped in with 134 runs across the 11 games too.
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Woakes was another of the squad to become a double World Cup winner last winter. He only came back into the T20 fold in 2021 but then became a regular in the side because of the absence of Jofra Archer. Woakes picked up five wickets in the tournament.
'Could be the next James Bond'published at 11:49 British Summer Time 4 October 2023
Reece Topley
England fast bowler on Chris Woakes
When Woakesy's cricketing career finishes he is probably going to be the next James Bond because he is almost just the perfect bloke in so many ways.
He is the most beautiful batter to watch but also the most aesthetically pleasing bowler to watch as well. He is an incredible cricketer.
He's got the most amazing hair, that never seems to go out of place.
He is normally hanging about with Mark Wood and David Willey. You would usually find those three doing something together. There is a coffee machine with us on tour so they've got a cafe set up.
When we were in Islamabad in Pakistan last year we'd have the coffee shop set up and a projector and we'd go on Google and search coffee shop windows around the world. We'd be having a coffee with the street view of Copenhagen. We might have to fire that up again.
Quickfire questions with Chris Woakespublished at 11:49 British Summer Time 4 October 2023
What would your walkout song be?
It’s always a tricky one, isn’t it? I think I’d go old school, maybe the Summer of 69.
What would your death row meal be?
I don’t think you can go wrong with a steak and chips, maybe a nice beer to go down with it.
What is your favourite film?
Step Brothers.
Who is your sporting hero?
That’s a tricky one actually because I like a lot of sports. If I had to choose one, Tiger Woods.
What is your dream holiday destination?
I really love New York, I’ve been there a few times. If I was with my two young daughters, I’d like to relax on a beach, so I’d say the Maldives.
If you were having a dinner party, who would your three dream guests be (dead or alive)?
Quite easy. Ricky Gervais, big fan. David Beckham, I’m a big fanboy of David Beckham. My third would have to be Aston Villa related, Juan Pablo Angel. Not many people would pick him but he’s my favourite.
Sam Curranpublished at 11:48 British Summer Time 4 October 2023
Age: 25 | Born: Northampton | Role: Pace bowling all-rounder
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All-rounder Sam Curran was named player of the tournament as England won the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia.
He rose to prominence in red-ball cricket in 2018 but has become a regular in England's white-ball sides over the past couple of years.
Curran's performances in last winter's T20 World Cup saw him become the most expensive player in Indian Premier League history when Punjab Kings paid £1.85m for his services.
A wily left-arm bowler, Curran has developed a string of variations to try and confuse batters during the middle and death overs. He can also open the bowling, but is likely to operate in other periods of the innings during this tournament.
He can also be an explosive batter, particularly against spin, and could be a real weapon for England down the order.
The all-round threatpublished at 11:48 British Summer Time 4 October 2023
Sam Curran in three pictures
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Sam Curran made his Test debut in June 2018 against India, with a one-day international cap following against Australia later in the month. Curran only played four more ODIs between then and March 2021 with his prospects higher in the longer format of the game. That has changed in the past couple of years though with the all-rounder now a regular in the white-ball squads.
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Curran took his first, and only, five-wicket haul in one-day internationals against Sri Lanka at The Oval on 1 July 2021. The left-arm bowler found opportunities hard to come by under Eoin Morgan but has been a regular in the side under Jos Buttler's captaincy.
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The faith shown by Jos Buttler and new head coach Matthew Mott was rewarded by Curran at the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia. Curran was named player of the tournament for his 13 wickets across England's six completed matches. He was also named player of the match in the final success over Pakistan for his 3-12.
'Normally in Livi's shadow'published at 11:48 British Summer Time 4 October 2023
Reece Topley
England fast bowler on Sam Curran
Sammy is normally not far away from Liam Livingstone.
He is our guy at the end of the innings, he showed that at the T20 World Cup. He is an explosive hitter.
I don't really know what he does away from the pitch to be honest, he's just normally in Livi's shadow somewhere!
He's another of the Surrey lads like me and Gus Atkinson, it would be quite cool to have an all-Surrey seam attack one game.
He is a very competitive bloke in everything that he does. He is very loud too.
David Willeypublished at 11:47 British Summer Time 4 October 2023
Age: 33 | Born: Northampton | Role: Bowling all-rounder
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David Willey has been made to wait for his World Cup opportunity but it has arrived.
Willey had been a regular part of England's side in the build-up to the 2019 World Cup on home soil but ended up missing out on the final squad due to the emergence of Jofra Archer.
The left-armer also missed out on last winter's T20 World Cup but after an impressive year is included in this squad.
Expect to see him operating with the new ball, trying to exploit any movement, while he has improved his skills in the middle overs so may be used there as England look to tie teams down.
He is also useful with the bat and can score quickly at the death, or hold together an innings if required.
The new-ball threatpublished at 11:47 British Summer Time 4 October 2023
David Willey in three pictures
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David Willey made his white-ball debuts in both formats in the summer of 2015. His ODI debut came against Ireland with the left-armer taking 1-17 from four overs before rain saw the game abandoned. A T20 debut against New Zealand followed later that summer.
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Willey became a regular in England's 50-over side after his debut, playing 46 times in the four years between his debut and the start of the 2019 World Cup. Willey was named in the provisional squad but was then omitted from the final list when England opted to include Jofra Archer instead. Head coach Trevor Bayliss decided seven seam bowling options was too many, with all-rounder Ben Stokes an option, so Willey was "unlucky" because he was "deserving of being in", said chief selector Ed Smith.
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Willey's sole five-wicket haul in one-day internationals came against Ireland during a Covid-affected series in 2020. Willey took 5-30 at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton. He asked to be left out of England's tour of Bangladesh in March 2023 as he prepared for the Indian Premier League but has been a regular this summer in the build-up to the World Cup.
'The dad of the group'published at 11:47 British Summer Time 4 October 2023
Reece Topley
England fast bowler on David Willey
Dave is the dad of the group. If he's not talking about his kids he's probably treating us like his kids. He is a huge family man.
He is no thrills as a cricketer, he's very consistent. In our side, people might say we're all about being exciting and aggressive, and Dave is that, but he's a very consistent performer with that. He sneaks under the radar a little. We'll depend on him at some stage.
He deserves all the kudos for what he's done in an England shirt. He's always delivered.
He organises the coffee group and he is an explorer too. I'm always up for getting out and about and Dave is always a yes man for that too.
Some lads enjoy their room and their home comforts and then there is another group of lads that are happy to put their shoes on and just wander round.
He's happy to do everything. I would just describe him as no thrills and just a solid person.
He's the worst dressed in the team. It is no thrills. His t-shirt just does what it needs to do. It is very functional.
Adil Rashidpublished at 11:47 British Summer Time 4 October 2023
Age: 35 | Born: Bradford | Role: Leg-spinner
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Adil Rashid is another of the double World Cup winners after featuring in the 2019 50-over and 2022 20-over successes.
The leg-spinner is likely to be key to England's chances of retaining the trophy, and has developed into a crucial wicket-taking option, while also keeping the scoring rate down, for captains Eoin Morgan and Jos Buttler over the last few years.
He has had less exposure to Indian conditions than some of the other England players, due to a lack of IPL opportunities, so how quickly he adapts could be crucial.
Buttler has started to use Rashid across the entire innings so don't be surprised if he pops up occasionally in the powerplay, or in particular during the overs at the back end of the innings.
Rashid is also more than capable with the bat and may offer some useful lower-order runs.
The gamechangerpublished at 11:47 British Summer Time 4 October 2023
Adil Rashid in three pictures
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Adil Rashid's one-day international debut came in August 2009, two months after a T20 debut. The leg-spinner look 1-16 against Ireland and has become a regular in England's 50-over side. Rashid is currently England's 13th most-capped ODI player but will move into the top 10 if, as expected, he is involved regularly throughout this tournament.
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Rashid (right) has been an integral cog in England's white-ball revolution under Eoin Morgan and now Jos Buttler. Rashid has provided wickets, and often an element of control, that has allowed England to get on top of teams. Rashid, who has taken more ODI wickets for England than any other spinner, claimed 11 scalps as England won the 2019 World Cup on home soil.
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Rashid then became a double World Cup winner when he was part of England's triumphant T20 side in Australia last winter. He took four wickets in the tournament, but bowled economically throughout and played a key role for Buttler. He has played the third-most T20s for England and leads Chris Jordan for the most wickets with 98.
'The heartbeat of the side'published at 11:46 British Summer Time 4 October 2023
Reece Topley
England fast bowler on Adil Rashid
Rash is one half of one of the funniest double acts with Moeen Ali.
He is one of the most unintentionally funny people I know.
You'll be having a serious conversation and then he'll have everyone in stitches by saying something funny. I don't think he knows it's funny. It's brilliant.
I don't really know what he does off the field to be honest. He is usually just with Mo somewhere.
Him and Mo are the pulses of our side, in terms of banter and the energy. They rip each other, they rip other people. They are brilliant and really funny. They are the heartbeat of the changing room for sure.
He'll be an integral part of the team because of how and when he takes his wickets and who he gets out. He gets out some huge players. He is almost irreplaceable.
Mark Woodpublished at 11:46 British Summer Time 4 October 2023
Age: 33 | Born: Ashington | Role: Pace bowler
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One of the fastest bowlers in the world, Mark Wood is a constant threat to batters.
That's if England are able to get him on the field. Wood has, unfortunately, seen his career filled with injuries, mainly to his ankle but also to his elbow and lots of other niggly injuries.
So much so that Wood has been included in England's 15-man squad despite not featuring in any of the pre-World Cup games against New Zealand or Ireland as he recovered from a bruised heel sustained in the Ashes against Australia this summer. He did, encouragingly, bowl three overs in their final warm-up game against Bangladesh.
England know having a fully fit Wood is a serious weapon, and have opted for a cautious approach with the right-armer.
Wood is another who has experience in the Indian Premier League, and England will likely use him as a first-change bowler, through the middle overs and at the death in short and sharp spells so Wood can hit top speed.