West Indies Women return to action on home soil when they host New Zealand Women in an eight-match white-ball tour from September 16 to October 6 in Antigua.

Cricket West Indies (CWI) confirmed that the three CG United One-Day Internationals (ODI) and five T20 Internationals (T20I) will be played at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.

The CG United ODI Series is scheduled for September 16, 19 and 22 and matches will start at 9.30 am local time, and 8.30 am Jamaica time. The T20Is are scheduled for September 26 to October 6.

All of the T20Is will start at 1.00 pm local time, midday Jamaica time, other than the 4th T20I on Tuesday, October 4 which will start at 10.00 am local time, 9.00 am Jamaica time.

For the CG United ODI Series, West Indies will be looking to build on the progress after reaching the semi-finals of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in New Zealand earlier this year.

The team will then look to the five T20I matches as part of their preparations for the 2023 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in South Africa in January.

Courtney Walsh, West Indies Women’s Head Coach, welcomed the tour and said they will have a keen eye on the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.

“I am very happy that we will be hosting New Zealand in the West Indies. They are a very competitive team, and this will make for a great series for our team. As it comes just after we’ve had the Women’s regional tournaments and the Women’s CPL, it will be a great fillip for our players,” Walsh said.

“We are currently holding another specialist camp including some new players, and after the Women’s CPL we will have a second camp in Antigua.

“In addition, the lead selector was with the West Indies U19 Women’s team for their series in Florida and has identified some exciting prospects to consider. So, we should have enough cricket before the New Zealand Series starts. Every series that we play we want to win, and we will be playing a positive brand of cricket. We will also have an eye on the T20 World Cup around the corner. So, this will give the squad a chance to showcase all their skills, and also give us, the coaching staff, a chance to look at what depth we have.”

All eight matches will be streamed live on the Windies Cricket YouTube channel. Live ball-by-ball scoring will also be available on the ​ www.windiescricket.com Match Centre.

FULL MATCH SCHEDULE

CG United ODI Series

Friday 16 September: 1st CG United ODI, 9:30 am Eastern Caribbean/8:30 am Jamaica Time

Monday 19 September: 2nd CG United ODI, 9:30 am Eastern Caribbean/8:30 am Jamaica Time

Thursday, 22 September: 3rd United ODI, 9:30 am Eastern Caribbean/8:30 am Jamaica Time

T20I Series

Monday 26 September: 1st T20I, 1:30 pm Eastern Caribbean/12:30 pm Jamaica time

Wednesday 28 September: 2nd T20I, 1:30 pm Eastern Caribbean/12:30 pm Jamaica time

Saturday 1 October: 3rd T20I, 1:30 pm Eastern Caribbean/12:00 pm Jamaica time

Tuesday 4 October: 4th T20I, 10:00 am Eastern Caribbean/9:00 am Jamaica Time

Thursday 6 October: 5th T20I, 1:30 pm Eastern Caribbean/12:00 pm Jamaica time

KL Rahul is determined to add to the "great memories" of facing Zimbabwe when he returns as captain in a three-match ODI series.

Rahul has not played for almost three months after undergoing a hernia operation and suffering with COVID-19.

The batter has been passed fit to lead India at Harare Sports Club, where the opening match of the series will be staged on Thursday, with VVS Laxman stepping in as India head coach while Rahul Dravid takes a break.

Rahul scored an unbeaten century on his ODI debut at the same venue six years ago and is eager to make up for lost time.

He told reporters on Wednesday: "My ODI and T20I debut was in Harare. I got a 100 in my first game, so I have great memories here.

"Hopefully I can add on to those memories. Coming back here after so many years and getting the opportunity to lead your country, obviously when you look back, it's very pleasing.

"As a person you can see how much you've grown and how far you've come as a player. It gives me great joy. Hopefully I can add to those good memories and play some good cricket over the next week."

India suffered a 3-0 series defeat to South Africa in Rahul's only previous series as skipper, but the tourists will be expected to dish out a whitewash of their own in Harare.

Shikhar Dhawan captained India to a 3-0 clean sweep of West Indies in the 50-over format last month and the opener will be vice-captain as they look for a fourth consecutive series triumph.

Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant are among the players who have been rested ahead of the Asia Cup. Shahbaz Ahmed will be hoping to make his debut after the all-rounder replaced the injured Washington Sundar.

Zimbabwe ended a three-year wait for an ODI series win by beating Bangladesh 2-1, but this will be a much bigger challenge. 

Regis Chakabva will skipper the hosts in the absence of Craig Ervine, who is out with a torn hamstring.

Chahar must make his mark

Deepak Chahar will make his long-awaited return after a six-month absence due to quad and back injuries.

With so much competition for places, the seamer will know he must take his chance. The 30-year-old was not included in India's Asia Cup squad, but he is on standby.

Raza key to Zimbabwe's hopes

Sikandar Raza was named player of the series in Zimbabwe's triumph over the Tigers this month.

The all-rounder scored two centuries, as well as taking five wickets, and Zimbabwe will look to him to contribute again with both bat and ball.

KL Rahul has been named as India's captain for their three-match ODI tour of Zimbabwe this month, having been omitted from the initial 15-man squad.

Rahul was supposed to feature in India's tour of West Indies last month after recovering from a hernia operation, but missed out after testing positive for COVID-19.

The 30-year-old will now return to lead his country for the second time in the 50-over format after receiving medical clearance to play, with Shikhar Dhawan vice-captain.

India fell to a 3-0 series defeat in South Africa when Rahul last captained the team this year, and the batter has not played any competitive cricket since the conclusion of the 2022 Indian Premier League season.

Rahul hit an ODI century on his debut against Zimbabwe back in 2016, the first of five hundreds in the format.

The three-match series gets under way at Harare Sports Club on August 18.

India squad: KL Rahul (captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Avesh Khan, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Deepak Chahar.

England international Moeen Ali does not believe the hectic cricket schedule is sustainable.

Moeen, who has previously filled in as England's captain in T20Is and was named as vice-captain for the tour of West Indies earlier this year, retired from Test cricket in 2021.

The 35-year-old wanted to focus on the limited-overs formats, and more players seem to be faced with the decision of sacrificing one for the other.

In part, this has been put down to the tight and congested nature of the cricketing calendar, with tours scheduled between high-profile tournaments such as the Indian Premier League, the Big Bash League and, in England, The Hundred. There is also the small matter of another T20 World Cup coming up later this year in Australia.

England's new Test captain Ben Stokes has made a similar decision, giving up white-ball cricket to focus on the long format, while he skipped The Hundred alongside team-mate Jonny Bairstow this year.

"At the moment it's not sustainable," Moeen told reporters when asked about his concerns over the schedule.

Moeen also believes that 50-over matches are most vulnerable.

"Something has to be done because I fear losing the 50-over format in a couple of years because it's almost like the long, boring one," said the all-rounder, who is the captain of Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundred.

"There's no importance given to it at the moment.

"International cricket in all three formats is by far the best cricket to play, but I do worry there are so many tournaments out there that players are retiring more now, and you'll see more retiring soon, because of overlapping schedules."

Shai Hope scored a magnificent century but it was not enough to prevent the West Indies from going 2-0 down after a thrilling two-wicket victory with two balls to spare at the Queens Park Oval in Trinidad on Sunday.

The win means the home side’s seven-match losing streak continues as they ceded the three-match series to India with one match remaining.

India started slowly but eventually got the measure of the West Indies attack with half-centuries from Shreyas Ayer (63) and Sanju Samson (54) but it was Axar Patel whose quick-fire 64 from 35 balls that powered India over the line with a straight six from the fourth ball of the final over bowled by Kyle Mayers.

Mayers finished with 2-48 from 7.4 overs. Alzarri Joseph bowled well for his 2-46 from 10. Jayden Seales proved economical taking 1-40 from his allotment.

Earlier, after the West Indies had won the toss and chose to bat first, Hope scored 115 as the West Indies posted 311-6 from their 50 overs.

After sharing in an opening stand of 65 with Kyle Mayers who made 39, Hope also featured in a second-wicket partnership of 62 with Shamarh Brooks who contributed 32 before he too was dismissed after getting a start.

Brandon King made nought from five balls before Hope and Captain Nicolas Pooran shared in a 127-run partnership for the fourth wicket that got the West Indies back on track for another score over 300. Pooran was eventually dismissed for 74 with the West Indies positioned at 280-5 in the 44^th over.

Hope finally fell in the 49^th over, caught in the deep trying to hit over the long-off boundary as the West Indies' rate of scoring dipped. The home side managed 31 off the next six overs while also losing the wickets of Rovman Powell for 13 and Romario Shepherd for 14, something that West Indies would come to regret.

Shardul Thakur was the pick of the Indian bowlers with 3-54 from his seven overs but India’s ability to restrict the West Indies' scoring in the death overs was largely due to the excellent bowling of Mohammad Siraj, who ended wicket-less but who the West Indies batters found difficult to get away in the final three overs.

England and South Africa were thwarted by rain as Sunday's ODI series decider at Headingley was abandoned, meaning the three-match battle ended in a 1-1 draw.

The match was not a total washout, but afternoon rain in Leeds brought play to a premature end. The tourists had won the toss and chose to bat, making a positive start as Quinton de Kock scored an unbeaten 92 runs.

David Willey dismissed De Kock's fellow opener Janneman Malan for just 11 as he could only send a drive to the off side into the waiting hands of Jason Roy.

Just before the Proteas reached three figures, Rassie van der Dussen (26) was gone too as he swept an Adil Rashid delivery to Jonny Bairstow.

However, the heavens then opened to put a temporary stop to play.

The match resumed just under two hours later, reduced to 45 overs per team, but the rain soon returned. De Kock and Aiden Markram (24 not out) managed to add a further 40 runs as South Africa reached 159-2 from 27.4 overs, with Markram reaching the 1,000-run milestone in ODIs, the 28th player to do so for the Proteas.

Play was finally abandoned just after 4pm local time.

De Kock's impressive 92 from just 76 balls was therefore in vain, a shame for the wicketkeeper who had hit 13 fours as he looked set to complete a ton.

A three-match T20 series between the two teams begins in Bristol on Wednesday.

Stand-in captain Shikhar Dhawan helped India snatch a nervy three-run victory against West Indies in Port of Spain as the hosts suffered another home ODI defeat.

Looking to overhaul India's 308-7 at Queen's Park Oval, West Indies were 133-1 at one stage, ideally placed to bounce back from their recent 3-0 drubbing by Bangladesh.

Yet they could not keep up the strong early running, finishing on 305-6 to lose the opener in the three-match series, a seventh consecutive ODI defeat to India at this ground.

Opener Dhawan, captaining India in the absence of the resting Rohit Sharma and a host of senior stars, was named man of the match. He provided the backbone of the tourists' innings but fell frustratingly short of a century when he was caught by Shamarh Brooks for 97 as he looked to cut away Gudakesh Motie to the ropes.

Shubman Gill had made 64 in a first-wicket stand of 119 before he was run out by a direct hit from home captain Nicholas Pooran, and it was Pooran who took a fine catch at cover off Motie's bowling to send Shreyas Iyer (54) on his way.

In the hosts' reply, Brooks made 46 and Kyle Mayers scored a sharp 75 before falling when he reached outside off stump at a wide-ish ball and got a nick through to wicketkeeper Sanju Samson.

Pooran cracked Prasidh Krishna for two consecutive sixes in the 32nd over to raise a slowing tempo, but he fell for 25 soon after. When Brandon King was caught in the deep for 54 in the 45th over, with 57 still required, that looked to be West Indies' hopes at an end.

There was a flourish though, and they were left needing 15 from the final over, with Akeal Hosein (32 not out) and Romario Shepherd (38no) narrowly failing to delivery the necessary heroics.

IYER LANDMARK

Iyer's 54 took him to 1,001 runs in ODIs, making him the equal-third fastest India batter to reach the 1,000-run milestone, alongside Navjot Singh Sidhu who also got there in 25 innings. Only Virat Kohli and Dhawan (24 innings each) reached four figures in fewer innings.

INDIA EXTEND DOMINANCE

India have now won 11 of their 12 most recent ODIs against West Indies, with the only loss coming in Chennai in December 2019. They have won the last four bilateral ODI series they have contested against West Indies in the Caribbean, and can seal a fifth in a row when game two takes place at the same ground on Sunday.

Jos Buttler urged England to back themselves and take risks after they hammered South Africa by 118 runs to set up a one-day international series decider.

The Proteas beat Buttler's side by 62 runs in a high-scoring match at Chester-le-Street on Tuesday, but they were brought back down to earth in a rain-affected contest at Old Trafford three days later.

England posted 201 all out in a game reduced to 29 overs per side due to rain, Liam Livingstone top-scoring with 38 and man of the match Sam Curran making 35 off only 18 balls.

The tourists were then skittled out for only 83 – their joint-second lowest ODI total – in reply after slumping to 6-4, Reece Topley (2-17) and David Willey (1-9) setting the tone with the new ball.

Spinners Adil Rashid (3-29) and Moeen Ali (2-22) then came to the fore as England gave themselves an opportunity to win the series at Headingley on Sunday.

It has been a disappointing start to his reign as captain for Buttler, but the wicketkeeper-batter is confident England can build on a commanding performance in Manchester.

He said during the post-match presentation: "I'm delighted with the win, the guys played in the fashion we want to play with as a team. Can we do it better? Absolutely.

"I tell the guys to back themselves, take the risks, impose themselves on the opposition. Me and Liam tried to get a rebuild going, Liam and Sam Curran had the bravery to take on the options.

"The guys are bowling brilliantly, Topley and Dave with the early wickets. Jonny [Bairstow] said batting in the powerplay wouldn't be easy if we held our lengths. We haven't fired with the bat in white-ball cricket, but we know how dangerous we can be when we do."

South Africa captain Keshav Maharaj said his side must learn from a poor display with the bat.

The spinner said: "It was a score that could be chaseable, but we never adapted. We needed a good foundation, some questions about some dismissals, but it's back to the drawing board.

"I enjoy the captaincy, but [dealing with defeat] it's part and parcel of the job."

Reece Topley made a big impact once again as England thrashed South Africa by 118 runs in a rain-affected second one-day international to level the series.

The Proteas won the opener on a sweltering Tuesday at Chester-le-Street, but it was a very different story on a gloomy Friday at Old Trafford.

Liam Livingstone top-scored with 38 on his home ground and Sam Curran made a quickfire 35 from 18 balls as England were all out for 201 in a match reduced to 29 overs per side, Dwaine Pretorius taking 4-36.

Topley (2-17) and David Willey (1-9) were then outstanding with the new ball before spinners Adil Rashid (3-29) and Moeen Ali (2-22) did damage as South Africa were skittled out for 83 in 24.3 overs, setting up a decider at Headingley on Sunday.

Anrich Nortje removed Jason Roy in the third over after Keshav Maharaj won the toss and put England in. A delayed start occurred due to the miserable weather, but England were going well on 49-1 at the end of the powerplay.

The excellent Pretorius (4-36) then came into the attack to dismiss Phil Salt before getting Joe Root caught behind for only one and bowling a well-set Jonny Bairstow (28) in the same over.

Tabraiz Shamsi (2-39) ended a scratchy knock from Jos Buttler to reduce the world champions to 101-6, but Livingstone and Curran cut loose before Willey chipped in with a run-a-ball 21.

The Proteas made a nightmare start to their run chase, Topley sending Janneman Malan and Rassie van der Dussen on their way without scoring in a brilliant third over.

Willey got in on the act by getting Quinton de Kock caught by Livingstone and the tourists were in disarray on 6-4 when Aiden Markram was superbly run out by Buttler without facing a ball.

Heinrich Klaasen (33) was starting to motor before he was stumped when charging Moeen, and Rashid tormented South Africa as they were bowled out for their joint-second lowest ODI total, having also been skittled out for 83 by England at Trent Bridge in 2008.

Pretorius takes his chance

All-rounder Pretorius was a concussion replacement for Andile Phehlukwayo in the first match of the series on Tuesday and was given the nod to play in Manchester.

The 33-year-old took his opportunity with both hands by recording his best ODI bowling figures, settling on a good line and length as he dismissed the clean-striking Salt before claiming the big scalps of Root and Bairstow.

Paceman becoming England's Top man 

Topley almost retired due to injury, but the left-arm paceman is very much making up for so much lost time.

After claiming the best bowling figures by an Englishman in the 50-over format with 6-24 against India at Lord's, he returned to the side after missing out in Durham and set the tone with the ball along with Willey.

Usman Khawaja believes one-day international cricket is "dying a slow death" and claims it is "very tough" to play in all three formats.

England Test captain Ben Stokes retired from ODIs this week, stating it was "unsustainable" for him to play for his country in the longest format, plus Twenty20s and the 50-over game.

Stokes warned that players cannot be treated like "cars" and keep clocking up mileage with such a hectic schedule.

Australia batter Khawaja is not convinced there is a long-term future for ODI cricket.

He said: "My own personal opinion – I know a few of the guys are very similar – you've got Test cricket, which is the pinnacle, you've got T20 cricket, which obviously has leagues around the world, great entertainment, everyone loves it, and then there's one-day cricket.

"I feel like that's probably the third-ranked out of all of them. I think personally one-day cricket is dying a slow death... there's still the World Cup, which I think is really fun and it's enjoyable to watch, but other than that, even myself personally, I'm probably not into one-day cricket as much either."

Khawaja believes it is a big ask for players to play in all formats.

"Not impossible, very tough," Khawaja said, quoted by the Australian Associated Press. "So much travelling. If you're playing all three forms of the game, you're not at home at all really.

"And then the demands on your body, mentally, physically and a lot of the guys might be playing also the IPL.

"There's a lot of cricket going on. Yes, you get to pick and choose, I guess, in certain respects what you want to play, but it can be very tough at the moment."

While Khawaja does not see a bright ODI future, he is not concerned about Test cricket.

"The majority of people I talk to still love Test cricket," he said. "It's my favourite format. [I] think Test cricket still has a very strong presence so don't really see that going anywhere."

Phil Simmons says West Indies must address their batting frailties in a three-match one-day international series against India.

The Windies were consigned to a 3-0 whitewash at the hands of Bangladesh on home soil and face a huge challenge when they face India.

Nicholas Pooran has endured a poor start to his tenure as captain and India are strong favourites to win a series that starts at Queen's Park Oval on Friday.

The highest total West Indies posted against the Tigers was only 178 and they have failed to bat out the full 50 overs time and again.

Head coach Simmons is demanding more application at the crease ahead of the series in Port of Spain.

"We have players quite capable of batting for long periods, but we need to get it together and hold strong," Simmons said.

"Players like [Shai] Hope and [Kyle] Mayers are Test batsmen, so they have the temperament to bat right through the innings."

He added: "The main thing is how we bat our 50 overs…we have to bat 50 overs and put our innings together and partnerships together.

"Somebody has to be looking to score a hundred and hold the team together. Batting-wise that is it."

Shikhar Dhawan captains the tourists as Rohit Sharma is rested along with the struggling Virat Kohli and paceman Jasprit Bumrah for a series that does not fall under the banner of the ICC Cricket World Cup Super League.

India have won 10 of their past 11 ODIs versus the Windies, with the only loss coming in Chennai back in December 2019.

Holder return boosts Windies

Good news has been in short supply for West Indies, but the return of all-rounder Jason Holder can give them a lift.

The former skipper was given a break for the Bangladesh series and the Windies will be hoping he is fresh and ready to fire on his return.

Holder needs another four wickets to become the seventh West Indies bowler to take 150 ODI wickets.

India can show strength in depth

Dhawan is set to lead a young side as India look to show their strength in depth with the World Cup to come on home soil next year. 

Deepak Hooda and Arshdeep Singh are among the players who will be looking to make their mark in the Caribbean.

Ishan Kishan will also hope to get another chance at the top of the order.

Ben Stokes hopes his ODI retirement will prolong his Test career, as he reiterated his belief the current schedule makes it "unsustainable" for him to continue in all three formats.

Stokes, who has won his first four Tests since taking over as England's red-ball captain, will make his final ODI appearance against South Africa at Durham on Tuesday.

The all-rounder was instrumental in England's crowning achievement in the format, producing a remarkable 84 not out and registering eight in an enthralling Super Over to steer the side to victory in the 2019 World Cup final against New Zealand.

The 31-year-old will play his 105th ODI against the Proteas, having averaged 39.44 runs and taken a total of 74 wickets across his previous 104 outings in the format.

Speaking to Nasser Hussain for Sky Sports ahead of his one-day swansong, Stokes shed further light on his decision to focus on Test and Twenty20 cricket.

"It was a number of things, I think the schedule, everything that's expected of us these days is just, for me... it feels unsustainable," he said.

"It was actually after the first one-day game [against India last week], one person I spoke to [said] probably the best thing that was said to me, which was, 'if there's any doubt, there's no doubt'.

"As I said in my statement, this England shirt deserves 100 per cent of whoever wears it, and unfortunately, I didn't like the feeling of not being able to contribute in the way that I want to be able to. As an all-rounder I want to contribute with the bat, I want to contribute with the ball.

"Also [I didn't like the feeling of] stopping someone else being able to progress in this format for England, who I know is desperate to go out there and able to give the captain and the coach 100 per cent of themselves.

"When I thought about it long and hard and realised I don't think I can do that in all three formats after how the body felt after the Test series, it was easy, knowing that I can't go out there and give my all."

Stokes, who has made 83 Test appearances for his country, revealed giving up one of the white-ball formats to prolong his career was something he had considered for some time.

But he admitted he struggled to choose between ODI and T20 cricket, adding: "Yeah, it was never going to be an easy one.

"I always knew that at some point, I'd have to choose one of the white-ball formats to continue with, I just didn't know which one.

"After that one-day game, it just hit me in the face. I had a quick chat with Jos [Buttler] after the game and said if the game was in a different situation, I would've carried on bowling.

"Now, being the captain of the Test team, and with how much cricket we've got coming up, I've also got to bear in mind that I've got to look after my body because I want to play as long as I possibly can. 

"I look at the way Jimmy and Broady's careers have gone when they stopped playing white-ball cricket, and that's what I want to do. I want to play 140 or 150 Test matches for England.

"It's come a lot earlier than I would have liked it to, at 31 years of age, to give one of the formats up, but there's longevity that I've thought about.

"Hopefully when I'm 35 or 36 and still playing Test cricket and T20 cricket, I can look back on this decision and say I'm very happy with the decision I made."

Nasser Hussain says Ben Stokes' one-day international retirement came as a "massive surprise" but is understandable due an "absolutely crazy" schedule.

Stokes has announced he will bow out from the 50-over format on his home ground The Riverside on Tuesday, when England start a three-match series against South Africa.

The news came on the back of Stokes announcing he would sit out the T20s versus with Proteas and The Hundred with Northern Superchargers, following a dream start to his Test captaincy.

It follows ex-skipper Eoin Morgan's decision to retire from the international game, and leaves successor Jos Buttler and head coach Matthew Mott with another conundrum in the world champions' middle order.

Stokes said playing all three formats for his country was "unsustainable" for him and although former England skipper Hussain was taken aback by his announcement, he can understand it. 

"It came as a surprise, to be honest," he wrote in his Sky Sports column. "To completely knock 50-over cricket on the head is a massive surprise.

"You thought he would be looked after, in terms of being rested from various white-ball tournaments and formats - he'd already announced he was going to miss white-ball series', and The Hundred. 

"I guess it's the schedule. The cricketing schedule is absolutely crazy at the moment. If you just play in the one format - say Test matches - it's absolutely fine.

"But if you're a multi-format, multi-dimensional player, and even a Test match captain like Stokes, who throws himself into his job 100 per cent on and off the field, eventually something's going to have to give.

"For Ben, it is 50-over cricket, which is a real shame because he gave us and England fans their greatest day for a very long time in 2019, a day we'll never forget with that World Cup final win.

"He's a very bright, smart cricketer, he's a winner and he's a fighter."

Ben Stokes will say farewell to ODI cricket when England face South Africa in the first game of a three-match series.

England's Test captain announced on Monday that Tuesday's clash at his home ground at Durham will be his last in 50-over international cricket.

It will bring down the curtain on a spectacular career in this format, Stokes' defining moment coming when he helped guide England to glory in the 2019 World Cup final.

Stokes scored a remarkable 84 not out and a subsequent eight in the Super Over as England won on the boundary countback rule after an astonishing game against New Zealand ended in a tie.

He began that tournament by claiming a stunning one-handed catch at The Oval against South Africa to dismiss Andile Phehlukwayo.

The player who bowled the delivery for that wicket is back in the England squad, Adil Rashid returning after being granted permission to make the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca by the ECB.

Rashid will give England a leg-spin option they sorely lacked across 2-1 T20I and ODI series defeats to India, who prospered in part due to the effectiveness of their own legbreak bowler, Yuzvendra Chahal.

South Africa are without captain Temba Bavuma due to an elbow injury, meaning Keshav Maharaj will captain the side in his absence.

With the ODI series not forming part of the World Cup Super League, in which England are first but South Africa are outside the top eight in 11th, the Proteas have also elected to rest fast bowler Kagiso Rabada.

CAN STOKES SIGN OFF IN STYLE?

Stokes is 81 runs away from reaching 3,000 in ODI cricket. He will want to bow out on a high at The Riverside Ground, and the omens are good for him reaching that milestone as he has scored over 80 in each of his last two ODIs against South Africa (101 and 89).

SHAMSI EXCITED FOR ENGLAND TEST

Wristspinner Tabraiz Shamsi has excelled against England in ODI cricket and is ready for the challenge of facing a star-studded batting line-up.

He is five wickets away from 50 for South Africa in men's ODIs and has an ODI bowling average of 24 against England, his best against any team (min. two innings).

Shamsi told ESPNCricinfo: "I've always wanted to get the best guy out on the opposition team.

"England is blessed with many good guys, so that's really exciting for me. It's something I'm proud of when I play: it's a great opportunity to be bowling against very good players and having an opportunity to get them out."

Jos Buttler acknowledged England are "not producing what we are capable of" after India won the ODI series 2-1 at Old Trafford.

England followed the trend of a bowler-dominated series, losing early wickets after being put into bat by Rohit Sharma in the decider on Sunday.

But new white-ball captain Buttler led the recovery with 60 alongside Moeen Ali (34) before Craig Overton's 32 helped the hosts post 259 all out.

England appeared well-placed to defend the total when Reece Topley dismissed Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit and Virat Kohli to leave India reeling at 38-3.

Yet Rishabh Pant combined with Hardik Pandya (71) for an unbroken stand of 133 as the wicketkeeper-batsman crafted his maiden ODI century, guiding the tourists to a five-wicket victory with 47 balls to spare.

Pant dazzled with his 125 off 113 deliveries, but Buttler missed a glorious stumping chance when the left-hander was on just 18 and paid a heavy price.

"It was a good wicket once you got yourself in, so we were a bit light with the bat. But the start we made with the ball gave us a chance and that missed stumping cost us," Buttler said.

"Pant is a really good player. If you give good players a chance they will hurt you and had we taken those chances we had a good hold with a long tail. But with the score we put up we had to take all our chances.

"We are not quite hitting our straps as a batting unit, but we are not far off. We are just not producing what we are capable of. So hopefully individually and collectively we can find a solution.

"These guys are fantastic to work and there is still a lot of enjoyment. Hopefully we will find our best cricket soon.

"I am an experienced cricketer but a young captain, so I am not worrying too much. I have lots to learn, and I need time to do that."

Hardik set the tone with the ball for India with career-best ODI figures of 4-24 that included the all-rounder having the final say in a short-ball battle with Liam Livingstone (27) by getting him caught on the boundary.

Livingstone and Hardik exchanged words throughout the contest and, despite the India star's wry smile upon the England batter's dismissal, he says the pair's relationship is amicable.

"White ball cricket is something very close to me," Hardik said after India completed 2-1 series victories over England in both the T20I and ODIs.

"I cherish my white-ball game. We all know England are such a good team. For us it was important to check ourselves out with our plans and the World Cup ahead.

"It was an ideal chance for us to step up and show what we have. It was important for me to come in and stop the runs and bowl as many dots.

"We took two wickets early, but they recovered well and were cruising. I love short balls. I don't fancy people taking me on, it always gets me into the game.

"I don't mind getting hit for six sixes as long as I take wickets. I am good pals [with Livingstone] but at the end of the day that's his game. He takes his chances on."

Hardik was also quick to hail the efforts of Pant, saying: "Today he played the situation. Our partnership changed the game and the way he finished the game was special."