Benjamin Stokes

Stokes was initially omitted from the squad for the away series as he recovered from a second operation on a broken finger and took a break from cricket to protect his mental wellbeing.

But the all-rounder gave Joe Root's side a huge lift last week by declaring he was ready to make his comeback, and he flew out to Australia on Thursday.

He will be available, barring any fitness issues, for the first Test at The Gabba on December 8.

Stokes was a star of the previous Ashes series in 2019, albeit his heroics in a famous Headingley Test did not prove enough for England to reclaim the urn.

And Burns explained the confidence boost Stokes' timely return has provided.

"It's obviously a massive boost, you know. To get Stokesy back in the side and back in the squad and back around things is obviously a massive boost for us," the opener told reporters.

"We all know what a good player he is. I don't really have to tell you about that. To get a bloke of his calibre and background back in our group is obviously a massive lift for us."

Stokes' return may have come as a surprise to some, but not Burns, who said: "I wasn't actually that surprised. I kind of felt like something was bubbling away.

"So, it was nice when I saw it announced. Because it is exciting and we want to get out there and have the best side possible, and obviously Ben adds to that in a massive way."

Burns impressed in the 2019 series, scoring 133 in the first innings of his Ashes debut before going on to record two more half-centuries (53 and 81).

"I think, from a personal standpoint, I played quite nicely in my only Ashes series to date," Burns continued.

"That was in my home conditions and those sort of things; we are probably going to get some different conditions out here in Australia. There is confidence there but also, at the same time, it's just taking what's in front of you every step of the way."

Stokes had announced his break before the Test series against India to prioritise his mental wellbeing and did not make himself available for selection for England's preliminary 15-man T20 squad.

In the absence of the injured Jofra Archer, Mills features for the first time since February 2017 after impressing in white-ball cricket this term, winning the inaugural Hundred competition with Trent Rockets and guiding Sussex to the T20 Blast Finals Day.

On announcing England's squad, head coach Chris Silverwood said: "We are excited about the prospect of challenging to win the ICC T20 World Cup. 

"I believe we have selected a squad that covers all bases and has the depth to be successful in what is expected to be a very competitive tournament featuring the best players in the world.

"Tymal Mills deserves his inclusion and has demonstrated over the past couple of years, but particularly this summer that he has all skills to succeed at this level. 

"His exceptional pace is a standout, and the way he has spearheaded Sussex and Southern Brave's respective attacks in the short-form game has shown that he relishes the pressures of the big stage.

"He will add variety to our bowling unit, and we can't wait to see him play in a major international tournament."

David Willey also makes the list after the disappointment of missing out on the triumphant 50-over World Cup squad in 2019, with Tom Curran demoted to the reserves.

There is no room for leg-spinner Matt Parkinson but Lancashire team-mate Liam Livingstone is included and could have a big role to play as a third spinner alongside Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid.

Eoin Morgan's men, who fell short in the final against West Indies at the 2016 T20 World Cup, have until October 10 to finalise their squad.

England finish off their preparations with a two-match T20I series against Pakistan, on 14 and 15 October, before their first group-stage fixture against West Indies on October 23.

England squad: Eoin Morgan (c), Moeen Ali, Jonathan Bairstow, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Tymal Mills, Adil Rashid, Jason Roy, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.

Reserves: Tom Curran, Liam Dawson, James Vince.

While Bairstow was unquestionably impressive in compiling his 124, Stokes' 99 came at a blistering pace, requiring just 52 balls as he bludgeoned 10 sixes.

India had set England 337 to win and level the three-match series, with the tourists – deprived of the injured Eoin Morgan's services – wasting little time, getting the job done with 39 balls to spare.

Bairstow and Jason Roy put on 110 for the first wicket to lay the foundations, with the former then enjoying a front-row seat for the Stokes show as they combined for 175 runs.

It meant that, by the time Stokes and Bairstow fell in consecutive overs, England only required another 50 to seal the win, with Dawid Malan and Liam Livingstone finishing things off.

All the fireworks in England's innings eclipsed what had been a solid 50 overs from the hosts, for whom KL Rahul top-scored on 108, with Rishabh Pant providing eye-catching entertainment in the form of a 40-ball 77 to help India to 336-6.

Having put themselves in a strong position to chase down 318 in the first match before collapsing to 251 all out, England made sure they had an even firmer footing this time to ensure a late-innings wobble would not prove pivotal.

Bairstow's 18 boundaries included seven maximums, with Roy's 55 coming at roughly a run a ball to further cement England's excellent start.

Stokes, having survived an early run-out scare, escalated things drastically with a display of explosive hitting that had India chasing their tails.

Krunal Pandya, who enjoyed such a fine debut in the opening clash, came in for particularly harsh punishment as he posted figures of 0-72 off six overs, while Kuldeep Yadav (0-84 off 10) conceded eight sixes, including three in a row at the hands of Stokes in a punishing 33rd over.

England's procession was slowed but not halted by a flurry of wickets across the 36th and 37th overs, with Stokes agonisingly falling short of a deserved century before Bairstow and Jos Buttler also had to go.

But it only delayed the inevitable, Malan and Livingstone steadying the ship and getting England across the line to set up a series decider on Sunday.

STOKES CAPITALISES ON LET-OFF

There was a mightily close run-out call against Stokes in the 26th over, when he was on 33.

He soon accelerated his knock at break-neck speed, having brought up his 50 off 40 deliveries before adding another 49 from only 12.

Stokes' dismissal, caught behind by Pant off Bhuvneshwar Kumar, saw him denied the third-fastest century in ODIs for England.

SERIES SET FOR FINALE IT DESERVES

This was a mouthwatering series on paper, pitting the world's best two one-day teams against one another, and it has delivered on the field across the first two matches.

World champions England flexed their muscles on Friday, having been chastened by an opening loss in which India showed why they are so highly fancied.

A winner will be crowned this weekend and, having seen the best of both sides, how fitting it would be if they could each bring their 'A' game on Sunday.

The England all-rounder was in imperious form in Abu Dhabi, hitting an unbeaten 107 off 60 balls to keep the Royals – who had started the day bottom of the table – in the play-off picture. 

Mumbai, who remain top, had the chance to seal a play-off spot of their own with a win and they put themselves in a commanding position with a total of 195-5. 

Hardik Pandya was the star of their innings, striking an unbeaten 60 off 21 balls. His knock, which included seven sixes and two fours, was the fourth-fastest of this season's IPL. 

Mumbai opener Ishan Kishan went for 37 in spectacular circumstances, with Stokes' England team-mate Jofra Archer taking an acrobatic one-handed catch by the boundary.

The Indians might have thought they had done enough to secure an eighth win in 11 games this season but Stokes and Sanju Samson had other ideas, the pair putting on a third-wicket stand of 152 from 82 balls to take the Royals home with 10 balls to spare 

Rajasthan move up to sixth in the table with 10 points from their 12 games, while the result condemns Chennai Super Kings, who had thumped Royal Challengers Bangalore earlier in the day, to elimination. 

STOKES FINALLY ARRIVES IN THIS SEASON'S IPL  

Stokes had struggled to make an impact in the IPL before his match-winning turn on Sunday, scoring just 110 runs off 103 balls in this season's competition. The 29-year-old said he felt in confident mood ahead of Sunday's game thanks to a positive training session a day earlier. 

"I'm a bit taken aback by why it's taken me so long to get into the tournament for the team," he said. "To be honest, the training I've had yesterday was the best I had throughout my time here, so I came into this with a bit of confidence. It was coming on nicely."

ARCHER PLAYS HIS PART

Archer set the stage for Stokes' heroics with a fine display in the field. His catch from Kishan was a thing of beauty, while he also removed Quinton de Kock and Saurabh Tiwary on six and 34 respectively. 

After a painful innings defeat at Lord's in the first match, captain Stokes led by dazzling example this time with a mesmerising century and valuable wickets, earning the player of the match award.

He cut off the hint of a South African resurgence on Saturday, before his star seamers did the rest, England bowling out the tourists for 179 and getting the win by an innings and 85 runs to set up a series decider at The Oval next month.

England's 264-run first-innings lead allowed them to go for the jugular in front of a boisterous weekend crowd in Manchester, with home-ground hero James Anderson removing Dean Elgar's off stump early in the day before Sarel Erwee edged Ollie Robinson through to Ben Foakes.

Stuart Broad then thought he had bowled Aiden Markram for a duck, but it came from a no-ball. Markram's stint in the middle was brief regardless, with Broad drawing a nick to Zak Crawley at second slip.

Rassie van der Dussen, batting with a suspected broken finger, and Keegan Petersen frustrated England for a while, with the fourth-wicket pair batting valiantly through the post-lunch session.

Stokes had Van der Dussen reaching outside off stump in the 64th over, in the penultimate over before tea, with replays showing there was perhaps the thinnest of edges through to Ben Foakes.

Nobody appealed so the batsman survived, but not for long. At 141-3, South Africa had a sniff of making a match of this contest, yet they collapsed desperately from there.

England made a breakthrough just moments after tea, and it was skipper Stokes who struck, ending an 87-run fourth-wicket alliance by this time drawing a chunky nick from Van der Dussen (41) to give Foakes an easy enough catch.

He removed Petersen (42) too with a hostile delivery the batsman was clueless to defend, presenting wicketkeeper Foakes with another scalp.

The excellent Robinson removed Keshav Maharaj, Anrich Nortje and Lungi Ngidi as England sliced through the tail, with Kagiso Rabada falling to Anderson.

Robinson recall a roaring success

Sussex quick Robinson had not played for England since the fifth Ashes Test in Hobart at the start of the year, but he proved his fitness on England Lions duty and backed that up with 4-43 in South Africa's second innings.

His inclusion at the expense of Matthew Potts went down as a raging hit, and he surely has a big part to play next time out in London, not to mention in the long term when stalwarts Anderson and Broad finally make way.

Sam Curran (3-12) and Adil Rashid (2-22) bowled superbly to restrict Pakistan to just 137-8, though England's chase did not get off to the greatest of starts as openers Alex Hales and Jos Buttler were removed within the powerplay.

Stokes came in with England 32-2 after 3.3 overs, but smashed a sublime 52 off 49 deliveries to record his first ever T20I half-century and help his country to their second T20 World Cup title.

Stokes was keen to highlight England's bowlers as the reason for the win at the MCG in Melbourne, telling Sky Sports: "I think when you chase totals in games like this, you forget the hard work that goes in before.

"I thought the way that we bowled, Adil Rashid, Sam Curran, that's what won us the game. To restrict them to whatever we did, bowlers have got to take a lot of credit for that.

"We didn't feel under too much pressure with the run chase. I never felt it was out of our hands at all. It's never really panic stations when it's under eight an over."

England's triumph comes after a shock defeat to Ireland in the group stage that threatened to derail their tournament, having come in as one of the favourites.

Stokes referenced that loss after the final victory, saying: "I think with that [Ireland defeat] being so early in the competition, we obviously had to address it, say what we said and then let it go.

"In tournaments, you can't carry baggage. That was a little blip, but the best teams learn from their mistakes, they take it on the chin but they never let it affect them and they just let it go and move onto the next challenge."

England's success comes in new captain Jos Buttler's first tournament since taking over from previous incumbent Eoin Morgan, who led the team to ODI World Cup glory in 2019.

Stokes says Buttler has built on Morgan's good work to create history of his own, adding: "Jos has now created his own legacy.

"When the great man stepped down [pointing to Morgan] and Jos took over, you look how quickly he's managed to take control of the team and progress it from the legacy that Morgs [Morgan] has left.

"He's a guy who everyone follows. I think it shouldn't be taken for granted how hard it can be to make tactical decisions under pressure in this format. Ninety-five per cent of his decision-making he's got right. We're lucky to have him."

Babar's men set England just 138 to win, but Afridi struck early to dismiss England opener Alex Hales before making a superb catch to remove Harry Brook off Shadab Khan's bowling, stirring Pakistan's hopes of victory.

However, Afridi injured himself in his role in Brook's wicket and was forced off the field, and though he did return, the 22-year-old managed just one delivery before having to make way again.

It was a bitter blow for Pakistan, who seemingly lost all momentum as Ben Stokes' half-century and some crucial boundaries from Moeen Ali condemned them to a heartbreaking defeat.

Babar pointed to Afridi's injury as the key moment, saying in the post-match presentation: "We were 20 runs short, but the fight to the last over was unbelievable.

"Our bowling is one of the best but unfortunately Shaheen's injury cost us a different result, but that's part of the game.

"The way the team has gone in the last four matches [was] incredible. I told the boys to play their natural game, with freedom. Congratulations to England."

The final defeat ended a disappointing individual tournament for Babar, who finished with a total run tally of 124 off 133 balls, while facing 62 dot balls as he passed 50 just once across his seven innings.

But the Pakistan captain was pleased with his team's campaign, despite his own struggles, adding in his press conference: "We weren't expecting to lose the first two.

"But how we've come back, grabbed chances, I'm proud of the team as a captain."

Chasing a target of 138 after bowling first, England captain Buttler had hit 26 from 17 deliveries himself but departed with his team still needing 93 more runs.

After a slow start, Stokes eventually took the game to Pakistan along with Moeen Ali (19 from 12). Stokes then hit the winning run to end on an unbeaten 52 from 49 balls.

There were five fours and a six in that knock, which finished with the final ball of the 19th over.

"He's the ultimate competitor in anything he does," Buttler said at the post-match presentation.

"He's got a hell of a lot of experience to bank on, he can take a lot on his shoulders. He timed it perfectly, that impetus he and Moeen Ali had at that phase of the game just took it away from Pakistan."

Speaking to Sky Sports after the presentation, Buttler was asked if he had been comfortable leaving Stokes at the crease after his own dismissal.

"I was comfortable after 10 overs, and then I said to someone: 'If he played like that in a Test match, he'd drop himself'," Buttler joked. "He managed to get it done in the end."

Buttler shared the praise around, with England's success scarcely seeming imaginable after a Super 12 loss to Ireland.

"To be able to win the T20 World Cup, I'm just immensely proud of everyone here," he said. "It's been a long journey and a few changes of how we've played over the last few years, and we're reaping the rewards of that.

"It's been a fantastic tournament. We've been away for a long time; we went to Pakistan before coming here, which was a really valuable time for the group.

"This felt a long way away after the Ireland match, but the character we've shown from that point on in must-win games has been amazing."

England limited Pakistan to 137-8 from their 20 overs, with the turning point coming at the start of the 12th over when Adil Rashid (2-22) caught and bowled Babar Azam for 32 before completing a maiden over.

"Absolutely that was a huge swing in the game, that was a fantastic over from Adil," Buttler said. "The last three games especially, he's been outstanding for us. He's always been the guy that we've thrown the ball to to make things happen.

"It certainly wasn't easy, we managed to get away to a decent start, which controlled the run rate. We bat deep as well, which gave us a lot of options and trust."

Former limited-overs England captain Morgan skippered his side to Cricket World Cup 50-over success in 2019, before falling short in the semi-finals of the T20 edition of the world competition in 2021.

The 36-year-old stepped down from his role in June, allowing Jos Buttler to take charge of the white-ball sides, and England triumphed in their captain's first tournament at the helm.

A five-wicket victory with six balls remaining over Pakistan in the final means England are now dual white-ball world champions, with Morgan suggesting Buttler's side have cemented their place in history.

"This team deserves it," Morgan said on Sky Sports. "They've been through the mill in the group stages and they've produced close to their very best against India in the semi-final.

"Jos Buttler said, 'We don't want to be known as a team just for our style of play'. We were known like that in 50 overs then won the 50-over World Cup in 2019.

"In T20 they've now won something tangible to be regarded as one of the great sides. They were excellent."

Ben Stokes, as has been the case across multiple formats in recent years, proved to be the hero with an unbeaten 52, seeing England over the line after they were reeling at 45-3 chasing 138.

From Headingley in the Ashes in 2019, to his Lord's heroics in the Cricket World Cup final earlier that year, Morgan heralded Stokes as the man for the big occasion.

"Ben is just such a special player," Morgan added. "In big games he continues to stand up for his country when his country needs him. That is such an incredible skill to have.

"When something has the potential to go awry, Ben is the guy that thinks coolly and calmly under pressure and makes brilliant decisions. He's done it so many times now.

"At certain stages of my captaincy I did take it [Stokes' role] for granted because he continued to be able to produce under pressure all the time.

"He always wants to be in the game and is that player who continually nags you to get in the high-pressure moments. It's a complete luxury to have a guy like Ben Stokes at your disposal."

While Stokes became just the third player to score 50-plus runs in both an ODI World Cup and T20 World Cup final (also Gautam Gambhir and Kumar Sangakkara), Sam Curran played an important role.

Left-arm seamer Curran picked up 1-12 from his four overs, marking his 13th scalp of the tournament – the second-most by a pacer in any single edition of the tournament (Dirk Nannes - 14 wickets in 2010).

"It [Curran's World Cup performance] is extraordinary," Morgan continued. "He really has been a find in all parts of the game. Jos Buttler has brought him on in the powerplay, used him through the middle and the biggest plus has been his death bowling.

"He has really stood up and bowled with a huge amount of skill and clarity. To produce in a World Cup final is extraordinary from someone that young. When his team needed him, Sam Curran did it today."

England's hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals suffered a shock blow when they were consigned to a five-run Duckworth-Lewis-Stern loss at the hands of the Irish, with rain cutting short Wednesday's contest at the MCG.

Jos Buttler's side are third in Group 1 and must respond when they face a fifth-placed Australia side who are level on points with them.

Mott, England's Australian white-ball head coach, ruled out ringing the changes for a huge clash in Melbourne on Friday.

He said: "We have played really solid cricket for the last month…we are not going throw the baby out with the bath water. It's just business as usual. We'll go through the sessions, see who's pulled up well and make changes.

"But it is very unlikely to change the structure of the team. It might be a change here or two depending on how the bowlers pulled up."

Ben Stokes has failed to reach double figures in both World Cup knocks so far, but Mott expects the Test skipper to come good with the bat.

"He's an incredible player for our team," Mott said of the all-rounder. "He's a real leader in our group as well, apart from the official leaders.

"I thought his bowling has been a real bonus for us. I think a lot of people probably underestimate his bowling coming into this tournament.

"And he's been key for us. I think he's bowled some big overs particularly in the powerplay. With the bat, he hasn't come off yet. But his career would suggest that at some point someone's going to pay a price and hopefully that's Australia in a day's time."

England's meeting with their rivals had been billed as a crucial game for both teams after Jos Buttler's side suffered a shock defeat to Ireland, while the hosts joined them on two points in Group 1 after losing to New Zealand and beating Sri Lanka.

Heavy rain in Melbourne resulted in a delay over of almost two hours before the abandonment was confirmed, with officials having completed two inspections of the MCG's sodden turf.

After seeing the points shared, England will now likely have to win their final two group fixtures – against New Zealand and Sri Lanka – to have any hope of reaching the last four.

Speaking to Sky Sports before it was confirmed there would be no play, Ben Stokes insisted England would relish the pressure of facing two do-or-die matches.

"It's almost going to be like playing a final every game. That's what these competitions are all about," Stokes said. "You're always under pressure to perform in these.

"You can't expect everyone to deliver all of the time, but it's just about your bouncebackability and we've generally been quite good at that."

Buttler, meanwhile, had been due to make his 100th T20I appearance on Friday, and was bitterly disappointed to see the match called off.

"It was due to be a massive occasion, we're very disappointed," Buttler told Sky Sports.

"It would have been a great place to do it, but we have full focus on our next match and keeping our tournament alive. We've been playing some good cricket leading into the tournament.

"It was a really disappointing performance the other night, but we've retained full faith in the group and have confidence in the players for the rest of the tournament."

England face New Zealand at the Gabba in Brisbane on Tuesday, one day after Australia take on Ireland at the same venue.

England are down in third in Group 1 with two games to play, dropping below Australia following their defeat of Ireland on Monday.

Jos Buttler's side cannot afford to slip up against the Black Caps, but assistant coach Paul Collingwood believes this to be the sort of scenario in which superstar Stokes thrives.

The Test captain averages just 18.57 in the shortest format and has never hit a T20I fifty, yet Collingwood has no doubt about his ability in "must-win games".

"The one person you want in your team when the pressure is on is Ben Stokes," Collingwood said.

"We all know what he's capable of, and not just match-winning innings, but match-winning innings under serious amounts of pressure.

"If it comes down to the crunch, you want a man like Ben Stokes walking out.

"It's not just what he gives with the bat – the options with the ball and the skill level he brings into the field as well. It's not always just the runs that he makes, but it's everything else that he gives.

"But I'm pretty confident there's an innings just around the corner, and now we're coming into the crucial part of the World Cup, it's almost a knockout stage for us.

"It's must-win games. You always see Ben come to the fore in those situations."

Opponents New Zealand are in a healthier position after two wins from their two completed matches, leading the standings.

But fast bowler Lockie Ferguson knows his team cannot afford complacency as they prepare to face England.

"There's a long way to go for us, and we need to make sure we take it game by game," he said.

"England's going to have a lot of firepower for us that we need to combat in this next game. I'm sure the boys will be up for the next challenge.

"[I expect] what you always expect from England. They come out very hot, they pride themselves on that aggressive nature, and they bat very deep.

"We need to come out with our own brand of aggressive play, but that's not to say it's anything different to what we have done."

Boasting a better net run-rate than hosts Australia in Group 1, England knew victory would be enough at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday to see them progress alongside New Zealand at the expense of the reigning champions.

Matters looked bleak for Jos Buttler's team, however, when a sloppy opening seven overs bowlers allowed Sri Lanka to advance for 65-1, yet spearheaded by Mark Wood's 3-26 and Adil Rashid's 1-16 – his wicket being the dismissal of the excellent Pathum Nissanka (67) – England took seven wickets for just 76 runs for the remainder of the innings, limiting their opponents to 141-8.

England looked to be strolling to victory at 75-0 from the opening 43 deliveries, with Alex Hales and Buttler excelling in the power play before the latter succumbed to Wanindu Hasaranga.

Hales, whose 47 included eight boundaries, was caught and bowled by Hasaranga two overs later, with Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone and Moeen Ali falling in quick succession as England wobbled.

Sam Curran picked out Kasun Rajitha at fine leg to pile the pressure on, yet Stokes (42) – so many times a hero – provided the composure, chipping away to leave England needing five runs from the final over.

It was Woakes who provided the final flourish, whipping a cut away to the boundary to ensure victory with two balls to spare.

England's redemption shot

Under Eoin Morgan, England reached the semi-finals of last year's T20 World Cup, only to fall short against New Zealand, who themselves were beaten by Australia in the final.

England – who have now won each of their last eight men's T20Is against Sri Lanka – will now face the winner of Group 2 for a place in the showpiece match this time around.

Pathum reaches Sri Lanka milestone

His knock might ultimately have proved fruitless, but it saw Pathum become the 10th Sri Lanka batter to accumulate 1,000 T20I runs, while he is the second-fastest to achieve the feat in terms of innings (after Kusal Perera).

Hasaranga also had a fine match with the ball, finishing with 2-23. It means he ends the tournament with 15 wickets, one short of his tally from the 2021 edition (16), which is the highest on record in the competition's history.

Stokes' unbeaten 42 helped England to a four-wicket win over Sri Lanka on Saturday, ensuring they progressed from Group 1 after bouncing back from their below-par start to the tournament.

Things looked bleak for Jos Buttler's team when they slipped to a shock defeat against Ireland in their second group game, while they were also forced to endure a nervy finish against Sri Lanka after losing five wickets in the space of just seven overs.

However, Stokes expects England to produce a more polished display in Adelaide on Thursday, saying: "We had a few up and down moments in the group stages, but we can forget about those now. 

"We know if we execute anywhere near where we want to be then we will be a very hard team to beat.

"We're in a position now that it's do or die. What I don't think anyone will do is take a backward step. 

"We talk a lot about how we want to play when it comes to the pressure moments, and what we'll see here is us trying to deliver on what we talk about, not taking the cautious option."

Stokes was part of the England team that beat India en route to being crowned ODI world champions in 2019, and he thinks Buttler's side must replicate the approach they adopted in that win.

"It's the way we went out and played that game, rather than looking at the result, just look at the mindset and mentality," Stokes said.

"We didn't take a backward step, so I think we can take a lot of confidence, knowing that if we go in with a similar mindset then hopefully, we'll do alright."

Meanwhile, Stokes says England will trust the advice of security consultant Reg Dickason as they prepare for a red-ball tour of Pakistan next month, with the build-up to that visit being overshadowed by a gun attack on Imran Khan.

"Obviously what happened last week was a bit of a shock to see," Stokes said. "But Reg has been out there. He's the best man to assess the situation.

"Whatever Reg comes back with, the players and the people going out on that tour 100 per cent trust him, because he's a man you trust with your life."

Excellent bowling in particular from Adil Rashid and Sam Curran held Pakistan to just 137-8, and England overcame some nervy moments in the chase to win their second T20 World Cup.

After England won the toss and opted to bowl in Melbourne, Pakistan struggled to get going, mustering just four boundaries on their way to 68-2 after 10 overs.

Despite Shan Masood's best efforts (38 runs from 28 balls), England then tore through Pakistan's middle order, Curran finishing with excellent figures of 3-12.

Pakistan required early wickets, and Shaheen Afridi found just what they needed with the final ball of the first over, sending an absolute ripper crashing through Alex Hales' middle stump.

Jos Buttler and Phil Salt steadied the ship before Salt was dismissed in the fourth over when smashing Haris Rauf's delivery straight to the waiting Iftikhar Ahmed, before Rauf then claimed the key wicket of Buttler (26 off 17) as the England skipper nicked behind.

England were now in real peril of letting the game and tournament slip through their fingers, though an important third-wicket stand took them to 84-4 before Brook fell for 20 from 23 deliveries, Afridi taking the catch off Shadab Khan's bowling.

Afridi injured himself in his role in that dismissal, and though he tried to return, he could only bowl one ball of his third over before being forced off the field.

Stokes and Moeen Ali took full advantage, nailing boundaries as they closed in on the target, with Moeen hitting three fours in the 17th over to take England within 12 of victory.

He was removed in the 19th over by Mohammad Wasim, but Stokes and Liam Livingstone finished the job, with Stokes hitting the winning run to end on 52 off 49 deliveries and win the tournament for his nation.

Curran shines in brightest moment

In the biggest game of his young career, Curran's 3-12 and 15 dot balls were key in restricting Pakistan to a score of just 137.

Along with Rashid (2-22), England's bowling attack set their star batting order up to go and win the game, which they just about managed.

Stokes comes up trumps again

Stokes, one of England's main men over recent years, came up huge for his country yet again with a vital innings to help them to victory.

Coming in with England 32-2 after 3.3 overs, Stokes' first ever T20I half-century came at the perfect time to add another historic performance to his already impressive resume.

Stokes' unbeaten 42 helped guide England to a four-wicket win over Sri Lanka on Saturday at the Sydney Cricket Ground, ensuring they progressed from Group 1 alongside New Zealand, last year's runners up.

It means the reigning champions and hosts Australia failed to reach the last four, with England set to face the winner of Group 2 in Adelaide for a place in the final.

England appeared to be cruising towards victory when, having limited Sri Lanka to 141-8, Buttler and opening partner Alex Hales plundered their way to 75 without loss.

Yet the loss of five wickets for 36 runs in the space of seven overs resulted in a nervy finish for England, and Stokes had to step up late on to set the stage for Chris Woakes to strike the winning boundary with two balls to spare.

"Not a great watch, to be honest – didn't enjoy that much," Buttler said at the post-match presentation.

"We knew, coming here, we had to find a way to win the game, thankfully we did that."

Asked if Stokes was the ideal player for the scenario, Buttler replied: "Absolutely, it's the kind of situation he's made for, I'm delighted for him and when he's at the crease, that gives you a sense of calm.

"He can play a lot of roles, he effects the game in all facets, he's a proper competitor and it's getting to the stage of the competition where you'll just see him grow and grow."

Stokes missed last year's T20 World Cup, and only returned to action in the format in a warm-up series against Australia ahead of this edition of the tournament, with his score on Saturday his best since he managed 46 against India in March 2021.

Another key player for England against Sri Lanka was Adil Rashid, whose figures of 1-16 saw him named the Player of the Match.

When asked if he was worried by the fast start Sri Lanka made with the bat, Buttler said: "Yeah, a little bit, they got off to a really good start and having lost the toss we knew the wicket would probably slow up as we went along.

"I thought it was a fantastic over from Adil Rashid at the back end of the powerplay to change the momentum. He's been someone we've always turned to and I was really pleased with his performance.

"I think a lot of people always look at the end column, maybe he hasn't picked up the wickets he usually does. I don't think he's bowled with much luck, to be honest. He's had a few chances that were missed, I think he's still bowling well, and on surfaces like this he's a really tough bowler to face."

Rashid took the wicket of opener Pathum Nissanka, whose 67 had anchored Sri Lanka's innings. 

Pathum has now accumulated over 1,000 T20I runs, becoming the 10th player from his nation to reach the milestone.

Stokes will skipper the side as international cricket returns from the coronavirus-enforced hiatus at the Ageas Bowl on July 8, with England's regular Test captain Joe Root set to miss the opening game of the three-match series to be at the birth of his second child.

Root will have to self-isolate for seven days before returning to the England camp ahead of the final two Tests at Old Trafford as part of coronavirus protocols.

All-rounder Stokes will step into the breach, with Jos Buttler serving as vice-captain, and Silverwood has the utmost confidence in the Durham man to perform the role to a high standard.

"I think he will do a great job," Silverwood told reporters at a media conference. 

"He is a talisman, isn't he? He leads from the front anyway. He is conscientious of the people around him as well so I think he will do a great job in Joe Root's absence."

Asked what kind of captain he will be, Silverwood replied: "We will find out won't we?

"We know he has got an aggressive nature but equally there is a good cricket brain in there as well. 

"I think he will be quite thoughtful about what moves he is making out there. I'm looking forward to working with him from a coaching point of view. I will extend him the same courtesies I do Rooty. 

"He will have a lot of say in what is going on and he will play a big part in giving his opinions across selection as well.

"I think he's in a good position to do it, he's been Rooty's right-hand man for a while. I know Rooty does turn to him a lot. He's been in a lot of the talks we have behind the scenes so he's in a great place to pick up the reins."

Despite being reduced to 109-3 at one point on day four, England recovered to better their terrific exploits during the recent series whitewash of world Test champions New Zealand.

The hosts surpassed their previous best chase (362-9) against Australia in 2019, sealing the victory on Tuesday.

That means England have secured three of the 10 highest chases in their history in their last three Test matches, with the Ben Stokes-Brendon McCullum regime having reinvigorated the country's red-ball side.

Speaking to BBC Sport after the win - which saw the delayed series drawn at 2-2 - skipper Stokes declared that while other sides may match England for talent, none could replicate their courage.

"It is amazing," he said after a fourth straight Test match win. 

"The change, you're talking about mindset and everything like that - when you've got real clarity in what you want to achieve as a team and how you want to play, it makes things a lot easier. 

"We know what we were going to do - we knew we were always going to go out and try and chase that down from the get-go. 

"A great way to explain is that teams are perhaps better than us, but teams won't be braver than us." 

Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow both brought up centuries to get England over the line in speedy fashion on day five, with the latter becoming the first batsman to score six or more centuries in a single calendar year in Tests when batting at five or below.

And Stokes heaped praise on the Yorkshire-born duo for their stunning performances, comparing Bairstow's recent displays to his limited overs showings.

"As people from Yorkshire say, 'strong Yorkshire, strong England'. It couldn't be more true right now. These two are just phenomenal," Stokes added.

"Rooty has been doing it for 10 years and Jonny has just honestly been ridiculous over the last five or six weeks. 

"He has got runs but it is the way that he has done it - it's exactly what we talk about. He has embraced it and just gone out and there and done it. It is like watching him play white-ball cricket at the moment."

Having also become just the third England player to hit a century in both innings of a Test against India (after Graham Gooch and Andrew Strauss), Bairstow explained the players were simply enjoying an exhilarating brand of cricket.

"It is awesome, it is a great environment at the moment," Bairstow said. "It is fantastic, the way we're playing, and everyone is really enjoying the success and that is a huge part of it.

"If Joe and I are out there doing it together, we're in a really good place. We've been doing it for a long time together now.

"It is really special to knock off 378 with just three down. It is something that we'll never forget. After day two I got asked, 'what do you think is too many', and I said 'whatever they set we'll go for'.

"That's exactly what we did. The opening partnership deserves a huge amount of credit, for the way they went about it and the brand of cricket that we're trying to play, it was epitomised by that opening stand. 

"It isn't going to work every time, but the pressure and intensity which they put on world-class bowling takes a huge amount of guts, courage and skill."

The 18-year-old, who was added to the senior squad after impressing in an Abu Dhabi camp ahead of the team flying out, was passed over for the first two matches.

With Liam Livingstone having suffered a tour-ending injury in the opener, however, Ahmed is the only recognised wrist-spinner England have ahead of their last match in Karachi.

Having favoured the additional slow options of Joe Root and Will Jacks on flat pitches so far, captain Ben Stokes has revealed Ahmed could well figure as the tourists look to complete a clean sweep. 

"We've been thinking about it," he said. "We can't go into too much detail until me and Baz [head coach Brendon McCullum] have had a look at the wicket.

"When we spoke about having Rehan into the squad, it was more than just bringing him in and integrating him into the squad. We did speak about us having no issues with selecting him if we felt it was the right option.

"I don't think this is a case of, if he was to play, of giving caps away. We picked him in the squad not just because of his talent, but because we thought it would be a good opportunity to play if we thought it was necessary."

Ahmed was not originally in the squad named for the tour, but a maiden cap would round out a breakthrough year that saw him impress in the Under-19 World Cup and earn a spot with Southern Brave in the Hundred.

"Having a wrist-spinner is always exciting, especially for England," Stokes added.

"But [we are] not getting too carried away with the potential that he has, because he is only young, and you've still got to nurture talent, even how exciting it is."

If Ahmed were to play, he would be 18 years and 126 days - surpassing legendary captain Brian Close who was 18 years and 149 days when making his debut in 1949.

The youngest ever England Test debutant was Holly Colvin, who was 15 years and 336 days when playing for England women against Australia in 2005.

England claimed an emphatic five-wicket victory over New Zealand at Trent Bridge on Tuesday, thanks in large part to Bairstow's supreme performance.

Bairstow struck 136 off just 92 deliveries as he turned in one of the all-time great batting displays in red-ball cricket for England.

Indeed, his 77-ball century fell agonisingly short of matching Gilbert Jessop's 76-ball hundred at The Oval in 1902, which still stands as England's fastest Test ton.

The Yorkshireman's 136 was the highest fourth-innings score of any England batter coming in at five or lower, as he combined with captain Stokes to propel the hosts to victory with a 179-run fifth-wicket partnership.

While Bairstow's stand was eventually ended by Trent Boult, who took 3-94 for a New Zealand bowling attack devoid of the injured Kyle Jamieson, Stokes (75 not out) was on hand to hammer a four through the covers and wrap up the highest successful Test chase at Trent Bridge.

England won just one of their previous 17 Tests before Stokes replaced Joe Root – who starred in the first innings in Nottingham – as captain and former New Zealand skipper McCullum was appointed as coach. They now hold an unassailable 2-0 series lead heading to Leeds for next week's final match.

With 1,675 runs scored over the second Test – the most ever seen at Trent Bridge – Bairstow explained England approached day five as a one-day game, and he believes the team have the perfect balance to return to the top in the longest format.

"It was just great fun to be out there. It's one of those things, when you get in that kind of mood you've just got to go with it. It was do or die," he told Sky Sports.

"If you strip everything back and there's just you and the bowler there... that's the bit where sometimes cricket's so much more complicated, and it's complicated by us as players.

"When you strip it all back, you're just watching the ball – that is the zone you have to get into. Sometimes it can be tricky.

"When there's been so many runs scored in the game, I don't think you look at it as a record run chase, you look at it as an opportunity to go and chase down a total. We saw it as a one-day game – that's how we looked at it.

"I think the positive approach, the brand of cricket we're looking to play, the players we have in that dressing room are able to play that brand of cricket. I tell you what, days like this are very exciting. If this is happening now, let's see what happens in the next few weeks and next few months because it's going to be a journey."

Asked where his ninth Test century ranked among his other tons for England in the five-day game, Bairstow – who revealed his evening session onslaught was fuelled by a "cheese and ham toastie and a cup of coffee" – replied: "It's number one. I think it's tricky not to be number one, isn't it?

"There's been a lot of chatter around England's Test cricket, some of which has been a bit harsh. We've battled through different things. I'm hugely proud of the way the guys have gone about it in those few years, it's enabled us to get close as a group.

"If we're able to go forward as we have done, keep that momentum, keep it going, the sky is the limit."