The 29-year-old, who has not played competitive cricket since May due to a long-term elbow injury, could make his first appearance for the international team since a tour of Bangladesh in March 2023.
Archer has been limited to just 15 T20Is since his England debut in 2019 and missed their 2022 World Cup success in Australia due to the same injury.
There is a recall for fellow fast-bowler Chris Jordan, who last played for England against New Zealand in September 2023, at the expense of Chris Woakes.
Uncapped Lancashire left-arm spinner, Tom Hartley, is also named in Jos Buttler’s 15-man squad, which includes nine players from the 2022 World Cup.
England will play a four-match T20 series against Pakistan at Headingley in May before they begin their T20 World Cup title defence against Scotland in Barbados on 4 June.
England’s provisional squad:
Jos Buttler (captain), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, To Hartley, Will Jacks, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingston, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Reece Topley, Mark Wood.
That is according to England's chief selector, Luke Wright, following the decision to leave Bairstow out of the squad to face Australia in a limited-overs series next month.
Bairstow has missed out on England's first white-ball series since the T20 World Cup, with fellow veteran campaigners Chris Jordan and Moeen Ali also left out.
But Wright says the door remains open for Bairstow, if the 34-year-old can play his way back into the form he showed before sustaining a broken leg while golfing in 2022.
"One of Jonny's great strengths is how much he wants to play," said Wright. "He's hugely disappointed.
"We just want him back to being one of the best players in the world. He had that horrific injury, and that’s been the message. Can we get you back to where you were pre-injury?
"He understands that. He doesn’t like it. One thing Jonny will do is fight back, and I hope he does and gets himself back in the team."
Wright is hoping the refreshing of England's squad in the wake of their T20 World Cup disappointment helps spur Jos Buttler's team on, with coach Matthew Mott having also left after that tournament.
"The one thing we don't lack in England is the amount of talent that's around," Wright said.
"More than anything, the character these young players show in taking the game on.
"What a great time to be in English cricket."
England's Test team, meanwhile, have made one alteration to the team that featured in the first match against Sri Lanka, ahead of the second contest of the series, with Olly Stone replacing the injured Mark Wood.
Surrey won the toss and elected to field first, restricting Middlesex to 155-8 off their 20 overs.
Luke Hollman (31), captain Stephen Eskinazi (25), and wicketkeeper/batsman John Simpson (25) were the chief scorers against Narine (2-27 off four overs) and Barbados-born England all-rounder Chris Jordan (2-27 off four overs).
Narine then top-scored with 51 not out off just 29 balls, including two fours and four sixes, while engaging in a match-winning 73-run fourth-wicket partnership with England test batsman Ollie Pope (37 not out).
Opener Will Jacks earlier smashed a 20-ball 43 for Surrey who easily reached 158-3 off just 15.1 overs to secure victory.
Surrey, also the team of former West Indies white-ball captain Kieron Pollard, now lead the South Group with 15 points from eight games after seven wins and one no result.
After winning the toss and batting first, the Rockets posted 126-8 from their 100 balls.
Openers Tom Banton and Adam Lyth gave the Rockets a good start with a partnership of 46 for the first wicket before both went in quick succession for 30 and 16, respectively.
A series of starts from Alex Hales (15), Joe Root (16), Rovman Powell (16) and captain Lewis Gregory (19) propelled the Rockets to their score.
Chris Jordan was the pick of the bowlers for the Brave with 3-22 from his 20 balls while Jofra Archer and Danny Briggs took two wickets, each.
The Brave then needed 99 balls to reach 127-8 and secure victory.
After a 43-run opening partnership between Alex Davies and captain James Vince, the Brave lost a cluster of wickets very quickly, eventually struggling at 78-6, needing 49 from 20 balls.
Kieron Pollard, who at that point has scored six off 14 balls, faced up to Rashid Khan in a crucial set of five to likely determine the outcome of the game.
The former West Indies captain then produced one of the most brutal displays of hitting of his career, belting Khan for five sixes in a row to put the Brave firmly in control, now needing 19 from 15 for victory.
The momentum continued in the way of the brave as the next set of five balls went for 10 runs to leave the Brave needing nine runs off 10 balls.
Pollard’s innings came to an end off the first ball of the next set for a 23-ball 45 including two fours and five sixes, bringing Jofra Archer to the crease to join Chris Jordan.
With the Brave eventually needing four runs off two balls, Jordan hit Lewis Gregory for four over square leg to secure the win.
