England retain Jake Ball in Twenty20 squad as injury cover

England have included Jake Ball in the squad for the Twenty20 tri-series against Australia and New Zealand as injury cover for seamers Liam Plunkett and Chris Jordan.

Ball, 26, was due to fly back to England after the five-match one-day series against Australia, which the tourists won 4-1.

However, Plunkett and Jordan are nursing hamstring injuries and are doubtful to play in the warm-up game against the Prime Minister's XI at the Manuka Oval in Canberra on 2 February, so the Notts player will stay behind as cover.

An ECB statement said Ball would travel with the squad "initially for the Australia leg" of the tri-series, which starts in Hobart on 7 February.

England face Australia again in Melbourne on 10 February before flying to New Zealand to play against the Kiwis twice.

Ball played the first Ashes Test in Brisbane but did not feature for the Three Lions again until the fifth one-day game against Australia, in which he returned figures of 0/58 from 10 overs.

The ECB also confirmed that opener Alex Hales will sit out the game against the PM's XI because of a hand injury.

England coach Trevor Bayliss warned his players earlier this week that they will have to keep performing well to retain a place in the team with the likes of Ben Stokes waiting in the wings.

Stokes has not played for England in the Australia tour due to an off-field incident, but is due to join up with the Three Lions squad in New Zealand later this month.

"It's a good problem to have, and he might not fit back in straight away, but I think everyone knows he is coming back in the team at some stage," Bayliss told cricket.com.au.

"That keeps everyone on their toes, trying to score runs and putting their name forward to make sure they are not the ones who get pushed aside when he comes back."