Harry Brook's England Begins New White-Ball Era

Harry Brook’s England enter a new white‑ball cycle this month with fresh faces, a stand‑in Sri Lanka, and six games that could shape the next phase of their limited-overs reset.

Two squads, one captain, and a clear message: this is Brook’s show now.

Donald and Crocombe get their shot

Aneurin Donald has waited a long time for this kind of call. A thunderous domestic season for Derbyshire has finally pushed the door open, and England have rewarded the aggressive opener with a first T20I berth.

He joins a power-heavy group that already includes Jos Buttler, Will Jacks, Tom Banton and Ben Duckett. If England wanted to double down on intent at the top, picking Donald does exactly that.

In the 50-over squad, Henry Crocombe is the new name. The Sussex seamer has forced his way into the ODI setup after a standout summer that caught the selectors’ attention. No fanfare, no noise – just performances. Now he has an England cap within reach.

Brook will lead both white-ball sides, a significant endorsement for a player still in the early years of his international career. He captains a T20I squad bristling with pace and spin options: Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Saqib Mahmood and Josh Tongue with the ball, Adil Rashid and Liam Dawson offering control and guile.

The ODI group leans a touch more experienced, with Joe Root drafted in to steady the middle order and Rashid again central to the spin attack.

Overton returns, Salt sidelined

There is a notable return and a notable absence.

Jamie Overton, who missed the white-ball series against India with a thigh injury, is back in both squads. His pace, lower-order hitting and height give England a genuine three-dimensional option, especially on early-autumn pitches that can reward hit-the-deck aggression.

Phil Salt, though, does not make it. A right quad injury rules him out of the tour, robbing England of one of their most destructive recent white-ball openers. Jacob Bethell also remains unavailable as he continues his recovery from knee surgery.

Salt’s absence opens the door wider for Donald in the T20Is and reinforces the value of Buttler’s versatility at the top. For Brook, it means managing a batting order that has depth but fewer automatic picks.

England squads in full

T20I squad: Harry Brook (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Sonny Baker, Tom Banton, Jos Buttler, James Coles, Jordan Cox, Liam Dawson, Aneurin Donald, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Saqib Mahmood, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Josh Tongue.

ODI squad: Harry Brook (c), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Tom Banton, Sonny Baker, Jos Buttler, Jordan Cox, Henry Crocombe, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Josh Tongue.

Asalanka steps up as Sri Lanka reshuffle

Sri Lanka arrive with their own storyline.

Regular white-ball captain Kusal Mendis will miss the T20I leg after a hamstring injury suffered during the Lanka Premier League in July. The problem already kept him out of the Test series against India and now hands Charith Asalanka the armband.

For Asalanka, it is both responsibility and redemption. He returns to the T20I setup having been dropped for the tour of the West Indies in June. Now he walks back in as captain.

Pavan Rathnayake comes in as Mendis’ replacement, while Dilshan Madushanka joins the squad after Binura Fernando was ruled out with a back injury. The loss of Fernando trims Sri Lanka’s left-arm seam options, but Madushanka’s inclusion keeps their attack lively.

The T20I squad still carries plenty of bite: Pathum Nissanka at the top, Kamindu Mendis and Janith Liyanage in the middle order, Dasun Shanaka’s experience, and an all-round spin core of Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana and Dunith Wellalage. Pace depth arrives through Dushmantha Chameera and Nuwan Thushara.

Sri Lanka T20I squad: Charith Asalanka (c), Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Lahiru Udara, Kamindu Mendis, Janith Liyanage, Dasun Shanaka, Dunith Wellalage, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Tharindu Rathnayake, Dushmantha Chameera, Eshan Malinga, Nuwan Thushara, Pavan Rathnayake, Dilshan Madushanka.

Six games, six different questions

The tour stretches across England, each stop carrying its own intrigue.

The T20Is start in Southampton on September 15, move to Cardiff on September 17 and finish in Manchester on September 19. Three very different venues, three chances to see how Brook handles tempo, match-ups and late-innings chaos.

Then the format shifts. Chester-le-Street hosts the first ODI on September 22, followed by Leeds on September 24 and The Oval on September 27. Root’s presence in the 50-over side will draw attention, as will Crocombe’s potential debut and Archer’s workload across both formats.

For England, this is about more than a home series. It is about seeing whether a new leader, a new voice, and a couple of hungry debutants can start to shape the next white-ball era.

For Sri Lanka, it is about how a stand-in captain and a reworked attack cope in English conditions, under lights, with the margins thin and the schedule unforgiving.

By the time The Oval falls quiet on September 27, both teams will know a lot more about who belongs in their plans for the next global tournament – and who is running out of time to prove it.