England

Broad has been ruled out of the remainder of the five-match series after suffering a torn calf in training on Tuesday, while Anderson is expected to miss out with a quad injury.

Saqib Mahmood was called up to the squad on Wednesday and could make his debut in the absence of England's vastly experienced seam duo, with Moeen Ali poised to return in the longest format.

Bairstow cited the ODI series against Pakistan, which England won despite having to name a totally new squad at the eleventh hour following a coronavirus outbreak, as an example that other players can step in and take their chance.

“It would be a big loss [if both Anderson and Broad miss out], naturally, because they've got over a thousand Test wickets between them," said Bairstow.

"I don’t think it's too much of a destabiliser to be honest. I think with the nature of professional sport there is going to be injuries at times, there is going to be illness, it can happen overnight and you've got to be adaptable within the group.

"It's potentially a loss but with that comes an opportunity for other people. When we've seen that previously in the summer, in the Pakistan series, there were opportunities that arose for other people coming in and they rose to those challenges."

India also suffered an injury blow, with seamer Shardul Thakur missing due to a hamstring problem.

Ravichandran Ashwin could come into the team as a second spinner, while Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav are pushing for recalls.

The first Test ended in a draw after the final day was washed out at Trent Bridge, with the tourists chasing 209 to win. Both sides were docked two points in the ICC World Test Championship points for slow-over rates in Nottingham.

ROOT BACK ABOVE KOHLI BUT IN NEED OF SUPPORT

Joe Root's exploits in the opening Test moved him above India captain Virat Kohli into fourth in the ICC Test Batting Rankings.

Root came to the rescue with a masterful 109 in the second innings after the England skipper top scored with 64 in his side's 183 all out in the first innings.

England's top three of Rory Burns, Dom Sibley and Zak Crawley are under pressure, with Haseeb Hameed waiting for his chance to step in.

KOHLI: MOEEN A DANGER MAN

All-rounder Moeen is poised to switch from The Hundred to the Test arena after he was called up this week.

Moeen claimed match figures of 8-226 when he returned to the Test stage against India in Chennai six months ago and Kohli is well aware of his quality.

Kohli said: "We are wary of his skills. He's obviously a very talented cricketer, brings consistency with the ball and as a middle-order or lower-order batsman. Especially in Test cricket, he can change the momentum of the game with the bat. 

"He's in great form right now, he's batting really well and with the ball he is always someone that the team has banked on, so we will have to be at our best going up against Moeen."

KEY OPTA FACTS

- England have lost just two of their 18 Tests against India at Lord's, winning 12 and drawing two. The last India win at the famous venue came in 2014. 
- England have failed to register a win in their past six Test matches (D2, L4), their longest winless run since 2017-2018, when they failed to register a win in eight matches (D2 L6).
- Root (8,887) is 14 away from becoming the second-highest run-scorer for England in Test history (Graham Gooch – 8,900). Root is the only player to score over 1,000 runs since the beginning of 2021 in the longest format.
- Ravichandran Ashwin (413) is five away from becoming the third-highest Test wicket-taker for India, with Harbhajan Singh on 417.

The top-order left-hander, who has played 23 Tests for the national team and was a member of their 2015 Cricket World Cup squad, admitted he had used a racial slur in reference to Rafiq in late 2021.

Ballance has previously expressed regret over his language, which were revealed follow Rafiq's 2020 reveal that discrimination at the club left him feeling suicidal.

Now, he has met with his ex-team-mate to tell him he is sorry in person, with the pair issuing a joint statement on their meeting.

"I have wanted to meet Azeem in person for quite some time, but I had to make sure I was in a good place when I did so," Ballance said.

"Azeem has been through similar mental health challenges and understands why this has taken me a little time.

"I apologise unreservedly to Azeem for the words I used when we played together. I did use unacceptable - at times, racist - language. If I had realised how much this hurt Azeem, I would have stopped immediately.

"That's why I wanted to meet him this week and be clear in person that I intended no malice. That's not an excuse, I realise that the language I used was wrong.

"I have accepted, from the outset, the words I used were wrong and I hope this statement brings Azeem some comfort.

"There is no place in our sport for this behaviour and I am determined to play my part in ridding the game from racism and make it more inclusive. To do this we all need to be honest and learn from our past mistakes."

Rafiq meanwhile has called for Ballance - currently suspended by the ECB from selection and only recently returned to the Yorkshire fold - to be allowed to continue his career, calling his apology "brave".

"From day one of opening up about my experiences, all I ever wanted was acceptance and apologies for what happened," he added.

"Gary has been brave to admit the truth and I understand why the mental strain has made it difficult for him to make this apology any sooner.

"Gary must be applauded for his honesty and unreserved apology and must now be allowed to get on with his life.

"Gary got things wrong, so did many people. The main issue is cricket's institutional racism. Gary's courage means he is now part of the solution. I hope he can be allowed to get on with his cricket.

"I would like to thank Gary. He has done cricket and the fight against racism a great service with these words. I would also like to thank those who have been in contact with me privately to apologise for what they witnessed.

"It's a good time for those who were bystanders to reflect on whether they could have done the same or even spoken publicly about what they saw."

The top-order left-hander, who has played 23 Tests for the national team and was a member of their 2015 Cricket World Cup squad, admitted he had used a racial slur in reference to Rafiq in late 2021.

Ballance has previously expressed regret over his language, which were revealed follow Rafiq's 2020 reveal that discrimination at the club left him feeling suicidal.

Now, he has met with his ex-team-mate to tell him he is sorry in person, with the pair issuing a joint statement on their meeting.

"I have wanted to meet Azeem in person for quite some time, but I had to make sure I was in a good place when I did so," Ballance said.

"Azeem has been through similar mental health challenges and understands why this has taken me a little time.

"I apologise unreservedly to Azeem for the words I used when we played together. I did use unacceptable - at times, racist - language. If I had realised how much this hurt Azeem, I would have stopped immediately.

"That's why I wanted to meet him this week and be clear in person that I intended no malice. That's not an excuse, I realise that the language I used was wrong.

"I have accepted, from the outset, the words I used were wrong and I hope this statement brings Azeem some comfort.

"There is no place in our sport for this behaviour and I am determined to play my part in ridding the game from racism and make it more inclusive. To do this we all need to be honest and learn from our past mistakes."

Rafiq meanwhile has called for Ballance - currently suspended by the ECB from selection and only recently returned to the Yorkshire fold - to be allowed to continue his career, calling his apology "brave".

"From day one of opening up about my experiences, all I ever wanted was acceptance and apologies for what happened," he added.

"Gary has been brave to admit the truth and I understand why the mental strain has made it difficult for him to make this apology any sooner.

"Gary must be applauded for his honesty and unreserved apology and must now be allowed to get on with his life.

"Gary got things wrong, so did many people. The main issue is cricket's institutional racism. Gary's courage means he is now part of the solution. I hope he can be allowed to get on with his cricket.

"I would like to thank Gary. He has done cricket and the fight against racism a great service with these words. I would also like to thank those who have been in contact with me privately to apologise for what they witnessed.

"It's a good time for those who were bystanders to reflect on whether they could have done the same or even spoken publicly about what they saw."

The former England left-hander struck 137 not out on day four of the first Test at Queens Sports Club, where Zimbabwe declared on 379-9 and the Windies closed on 21-0 – leading by 89 runs.

Ballance made four hundreds for England in 23 matches in the longest format, the last of which came against West Indies in April 2015.

The 33-year-old signed a two-year contact with Zimbabwe Cricket last December, having been granted a release from his Yorkshire contract after a challenging period in which he endured struggles with his mental health.

Zimbabwe-born Ballance last year admitted to using racist and offensive language towards his Yorkshire team-mate Azeem Rafiq.

Rafiq said he had accepted an apology from Ballance, who was suspended for an indefinite period from England selection.

He played three white-ball matches for his country of birth last month and now has the highest score by a Zimbabwe Test debutant, beating the previous record of 121 set by Dave Houghton – the team's current coach.

Kepler Wessels is the only other player to have made hundreds for more than one country in the longest format, reaching three figures for South Africa and Australia.

The hosts tallied 158-2 against the world champions, with opener Litton Das making 73 and the in-form Najmul Hossain Shanto adding 47 not out. They shared in a second-wicket stand of 84 as England struggled to find bowling penetration and fielded poorly.

England were seemingly cruising at 100-1 in reply but then lost Dawid Malan and captain Jos Buttler to successive deliveries in the 14th over, and their lack of middle-order strength was exploited by the home team.

Malan, on 53, edged to wicketkeeper Das off left-arm paceman Mustafizur Rahman, and from the next ball Mehidy Hasan threw down the stumps as Buttler chased a quick single and was run out for 40.

Ben Duckett got away with an edge off Mehidy that Das juggled, before Taskin Ahmed struck twice in the 17th over, having Moeen Ali caught just inside the boundary and then bowling Duckett.

It meant England were 123-5, needing 36 from the final three overs, and Sam Curran soon fell too, prised out by Shakib Al Hasan. England wanted 27 from the final over, and that was inevitably beyond them, stalling on 142-6 and left to wonder where it all went so wrong.

Bangladesh celebrate famous scalp

There were delirious scenes inside the Shere Bangla National Stadium as the Tigers pulled off a terrific series victory. This was just Bangladesh's second 3-0 T20I clean sweep in their history, having first had such a success against Ireland in July 2012.

Ton up for Mustafizur

Mustafizur's dismissal of Malan made him just the second player to reach 100 wickets for Bangladesh in men's T20Is, after Shakib Al Hasan. The 27-year-old reached the landmark in his 81st match in the short format, with his best bowling remaining the 5-22 he took against New Zealand at Eden Gardens in March 2016.

The series, initially due to be held in 2021 but postponed due to coronavirus and a packed cricket calendar, will begin in Dhaka on March 1 – which will also host the second ODI two days later and the final T20Is on March 12 and 14.

Chattogram will be the venue for the third ODI on March 6 and the first T20I on March 9, completing the schedule for England's first tour of Bangladesh since 2016.

The three-match ODI series is part of the Super League, which decides which teams get direct entry into the 2023 World Cup, but both nations have already qualified for the tournament in India, which gets underway in October.

England will travel to Bangladesh in February ahead of the series and are expected to play two practice matches, with opponents yet to be confirmed.

The two sides last met at the 2021 T20 World Cup, where England won the Super 12 contest by eight wickets.

Without a host of big names in Chattogram, including Ben Stokes and Harry Brook, the world champions toiled in the second half of their innings and made only 156-6.

England then failed to make sufficient headway with the ball as the hosts kicked off the three-match series with a surprise win.

The tourists initially looked set for a routine victory following an impressive opening stand of 80 from Phil Salt (38) and captain Jos Buttler (67), but they stuttered thereafter.

Mustafizur Rahman's fierce 16th-over delivery to remove Ben Duckett (20) was the catalyst for Bangladesh's assault, with Shanto clinging onto Buttler's leg-side drive from the very next ball.

Having provided the delivery which accounted for Buttler, Hasan Mahmud also sent Sam Curran packing as England's rate continued to slow.

Bangladesh recovered from the early losses of Rony Talukdar (21) and Litton Das (12) after taking up the bat, with Shanto's knock of 51 supported by Towhid Hridoy (24) and skipper Shakib Al Hasan (34no).

Even Mark Wood sending stumps flying to end Shanto's stay did nothing to slow Bangladesh's progress, as Shakib finished off a clinical chase by finding the boundary with 12 balls remaining.

Significant scalp for Bangladesh

Bangladesh entered Thursday's contest having lost seven of their last nine T20Is, with World Cup triumphs over Zimbabwe and the Netherlands their only wins in that run.

However, after winning the third and final ODI against England on Monday, they carried that form into the shorter format to turn the world champions over in comfortable fashion at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium.

Shanto leads the way

While the experience of Shakib helped Bangladesh over the line, Shanto's excellent knock set them on their way to a textbook chase.

Shanto's half-century was his third in T20Is, following knocks of 71 against Zimbabwe and 54 against Pakistan at the World Cup last year.

England remain the benchmark in limited-overs cricket for many, and they should provide a stern test to a Bangladesh team in hot form.

Bangladesh have won six of their last seven men's bilateral ODI series, including a 2-1 win over India at home in December. The only series loss the Tigers have suffered in that time was against Zimbabwe in August.

Captain Tamim Iqbal is back after missing the series with India, likely replacing Anamul Haque, as Bangladesh go into the series with something approaching their strongest team.

Head coach Chandika Hathurusingha believes that could be a key difference, with England missing the likes of Ben Duckett and Harry Brook due to their participation in the Test series in New Zealand.

"We are playing full strength," Hathurusingha told reporters. "I don't think they have come with their full strength. Some of them are playing Test cricket. I back our skills and strength.

"Saying that, they have incredible strength in the last 10 years or so. England have one of the best pace attacks in the world. They have five fast bowlers and three spinners on this tour.

"The challenge will be to play their fast bowlers in this series. They have developed great depth in English cricket. They are the envy of every Test-playing nation."

That attack could indeed be what gives England the best chance of winning, with fit-again Jofra Archer joined by Saqib Mahmood, Mark Wood, Chris Woakes and Sam Curran.

Rehan Ahmed will be another one to watch for the tourists, with the 18-year-old potentially able to take advantage of some spin-friendly surfaces, though the first match in Mirpur on Wednesday could come too soon for him after he missed two days of training due to illness.

England skipper Jos Buttler will use the three games as preparation for the team's World Cup defence in India later this year.

"We only have these matches and then don't play again until September just before the World Cup," Buttler said at a press conference. "All our preparation is geared towards that World Cup and these are the conditions that will probably be the closest that we can get to playing in India.

"This is exactly the kind of challenge we need. With the World Cup not too far away we can test ourselves against conditions that we as a side find the hardest.

"It's going to be a great measure of where we are as a team."

Shakib closing in on 300

Shakib Al Hasan is six wickets shy of 300 in ODI cricket, bidding to become the first player from Bangladesh to reach that landmark.

With 6,835 runs already, Shakib can also become just the third all-rounder after Sanath Jayasuriya (13,430 runs and 323 wickets) and Shahid Afridi (8,064 runs and 395 wickets) to register 5,000+ runs and 300+ wickets in the format.

Moeen approaches a century

Moeen Ali is just four scalps away from becoming the 14th England cricketer to get to 100 wickets in ODI cricket. In doing so, he (2,154 runs) would become the fourth England player to record 2,000+ runs and 100 wickets in ODIs (after Ian Botham, Andrew Flintoff and Paul Collingwood).

One factor in Moeen's favour is that he was a part of the Comilla Victorians team that won the Bangladesh Premier League final in mid-February, so he is familiar with playing in the country.

Matthew Mott's team won the 50-over series in Bangladesh 2-1, with that format receiving the greatest emphasis with England set to defend the Cricket World Cup in India in October.

England won the T20 World Cup last year but will not have to defend that title until June next year, making a three-match series over the shortest format perhaps seem a tad insignificant.

That feeling is furthered by the absence of Ben Stokes, Harry Brook, Alex Hales and Liam Livingstone from the squad.

For Woakes, though, there is no lack of desire.

"It's a great opportunity for us to hopefully lay down a marker again as world champions," said Woakes ahead of Thursday's opener in Chattogram.

"We haven't played a series since we won that World Cup so it's a challenge for us in these conditions, but it's exciting to play here against obviously a very good Bangladesh side.

"It does feel a little bit strange, we're obviously playing a format that isn't overly necessary right now.

"Nonetheless, you're playing for England and you want to win, so we're looking forward to the next three games."

Bangladesh have lost seven of their last nine men's T20 internationals, those two wins coming against Zimbabwe and the Netherlands at the World Cup.

New coach Chandika Hathurusingha was impressed by his side's performance in the ODIs and is excited to see whether his squad can rise to the challenge against the world champions.

"I am very open to see what we can do," Hathurusingha said. "I expect players to do the same thing that got them selected.

"So go and show in the international level against the world champions, for them to understand where they are at, and for us to understand whether we are better than them in our conditions or they are better than us.

"It is a good opportunity for us to see our skill set in T20s."
 

Jordan closing on century

Chris Jordan has been drafted into the squad and has the chance to make history.

He is England's leading wicket-taker in T20 cricket with 95 and by taking five more would become the sixth male player to take 100 wickets in the format.

Jordan would also become the third England player, male or female, to achieve the feat, following Katherine Sciver-Brunt and Anya Shrubsole.

A Litton bit more

Wicketkeeper Litton Das will be one of the players Bangladesh look to for batting firepower.

Since the beginning of 2022, he has a batting strike rate of 140.6 from 360 balls faced in T20Is, the highest of any Bangladesh player in the format in that time to have faced at least 10 balls.

They will likely need him to produce more of that kind of form if they are to threaten to upset the odds.

Bangladesh completed a memorable whitewash of the world champions by winning by 16 runs in the final match on Tuesday.

Having beaten the home side in the prior ODI series, England's 20-over team looked a little short, with injuries to Tom Abell and Will Jacks limiting their batting reserves.

Neither man was replaced in the T20I squad, meaning England played the series with only five dedicated batters.

Bangladesh capitalised, with Dawid Malan's 53 and captain Jos Buttler's 40 not enough as England attempted to chase down 159 in Dhaka.

Mott preferred to blame England's fielding after the hosts set a tricky target, saying: "I thought our first 15 overs in the field were nowhere near the level we'd expect.

"We really wanted to finish well here. The lead-in was good, everyone was up and about, but for whatever reason, we just couldn't get clean hands on the ball, either in the air or on the ground.

"We showed a bit of ticker at the back end, [but] they were still at least 15, 20 over par on that wicket."

The coach added: "That one hurts today. To finish the way we did today will leave a bit of a sour taste in our mouths."

Yet he defended the squad selection for this series, suggesting England would have learned from seeing how their small group performed in Bangladesh – even if that impacted negatively on results.

"If you look at how many players we've exposed this year alone, we've gone a fair way down the depth charts," Mott said of England's batting options.

"The realisation [was] that we're probably better off investing in some batters that were put under pressure in these games.

"You only learn from your mistakes; the opportunities that they've been given here will give them time to reflect and when we get into pressure situations in World Cups."

He added: "I'm confident it was the right decision."

The Test series between the teams was hampered by the weather as England claimed a 1-0 win, and it was more of the same on Friday.

England batted first but were unable to complete their innings, with a delay of almost two hours unable to give the field time to dry out for a truncated Pakistan response.

Opener Banton (71) at least had time to first impress with his maiden 50 at this level after an early scare.

England lost Jonny Bairstow in the first over, before Iftikhar Ahmed inexplicably dropped Banton off Shaheen Afridi at the end of the second.

Banton capitalised with a speedy knock, although Dawid Malan (23), his next partner, was run out as he wandered halfway down the wicket while his team-mate opted not to move.

Eoin Morgan (14) was at the other end as Banton - after four fours and five maximums - picked out Imad Wasim at extra cover, and then the captain was trapped leg before.

Further wickets followed with greater frequency - all-rounders Moeen Ali and Lewis Gregory dismissed for single-figure scores - but the rain, with England 131-6 after 16.1 overs, denied Pakistan the chance to have a say.

Cricket Australia (CA) on Thursday announced Carey will replace former captain Tim Paine as wicketkeeper in the team for the first two Tests, starting December 8 at the Gabba.

Debutant Carey will be behind the stumps after Paine – who stood down as skipper having been embroiled in a sexting scandal – took a leave of absence from all forms of cricket for the "foreseeable future".

"I am incredibly humbled by this opportunity. It’s an exciting build-up for what is a huge series ahead," Carey – Australia's one-day international wicketkeeper – said in a statement

"My focus is on preparing and playing my part in helping Australia secure the Ashes.

"This is also for my dad who has been my coach, mentor and mate, my mum, my wife Eloise, kids Louis and Clementine, my brother and sister and all of those who have supported me. I will be doing my absolute best to make them and our country proud."

Carey has averaged just 21.85 runs over eight innings with the bat in the Sheffield Shield, though the left-hander has been a consistent performer over the years.

The South Australia star has averaged 59.64, scoring four centuries in nine matches.

The Sussex bowler has not played at senior level since a white-ball tour to India in March 2021, having been sidelined with a succession of injuries since then.

After missing out on T20 World Cup success in November, Archer's return to the fold will be a timely boost in the year England look to defend their 50-over crown and take on Australia in the Ashes.

Mark Wood and Joe Root, as anticipated, are both rested, but there is room for Ben Duckett, who could play his first ODI match since 2016 after impressing upon his Test comeback.

Liam Livingstone, who was injured during England's red-ball series with Pakistan, misses out while Harry Brook will look to win his first ODI cap after a superb multi-format season.

Reece Topley, who is continuing to recovery from injury himself, will hope to join Archer in marking his return to action during the three-game tour, which starts in Bloemfontein on January 27.

A second match at Mangaung Oval follows on January 29, before the final encounter takes place at Kimberley on February 1.

A subsequent Test tour to New Zealand follows.

England ODI squad: Jos Buttler (Lancashire); Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), Jofra Archer (Sussex), Harry Brook (Yorkshire), Sam Curran (Surrey), Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire), Dawid Malan (Yorkshire), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Jason Roy (Surrey), Phil Salt (Lancashire), Olly Stone (Nottinghamshire), Reece Topley (Surrey), David Willey (Yorkshire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire).

Bethell, 20, a left-handed batter and spin bowler, has been picked for the three-match T20 series and five one-day internationals that follow after scoring 356 runs for Birmingham Bears in the Vitality Blast this season, including a 15-ball fifty against Northamptonshire.

Bethell’s Warwickshire team-mate Dan Mousley, 23, another left-hander who also offers a slow-bowling option, was also included in the T20 squad for the first time after amassing 375 runs in Birmingham's run to the Blast quarter-finals.

Leicestershire left-arm seamer Josh Hull and right-arm Hampshire quick John Turner could also make white-ball debuts after being included in both groups, while a fifth uncapped player, Essex batter Jordan Cox, is in the T20 party.

England white-ball stalwarts Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow and Chris Jordan have been left out and may very well have played their last international matches.

England T20I squad: Jos Buttler (capt), Jofra Archer, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Jordan Cox, Sam Curran, Josh Hull, Will Jacks, Liam Livingstone, Saqib Mahmood, Dan Mousley, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Reece Topley, John Turner

England ODI squad: Jos Buttler (capt), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Josh Hull, Will Jacks, Matthew Potts, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Jamie Smith, Reece Topley, John Turner

The England Men’s Series in the Caribbean forms a focal point for one of the West Indies Men’s busiest ever years of International Home Series cricket.

England will arrive in the Caribbean to play the first-ever five-match T20I Series between the two teams. All five matches in Barbados will be played across a nine-day period from January 22 to 30, 2022, including two consecutive weekends of back-to-back T20I cricket.

Following West Indies’ white-ball tour of India in February 2022, the West Indies will welcome England back to the Caribbean for a three-match Test Series to compete for the newly created Richards-Botham Trophy.  This new trophy honours two legends of cricket, Sir Vivian Richards and Lord Ian Botham, whose friendship and on-field heroics became synonymous with some of their respective teams greatest Test match moments.

The Test Series will start appropriately at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium (SVRS) in Antigua on March 8, 2022, before moving to the Kensington Oval in Barbados for the 2nd Test starting on March 16.

The third Test match will bowl off on March 24 on the “Spice Isle” of Grenada at the National Cricket Stadium. The Test Series is a key fixture in both teams’ International Cricket Council (ICC) World Test Championship schedule which will determine the best Test match cricket team in the world by 2023.

Initially, Official West Indies Tour Operator and Licensed Ticket Partner packages will go on sale, with details to come in the next seven days. Online ticket sales will commence in mid-November through CWI’s new ticket platform. Fans can sign up to receive the first news of tickets going sale at https://www.windiescricket.com/updates.

“We are delighted to be able to confirm the venues for this extended West Indies vs England T20I and Test Series. The history and rivalry between the two teams create great anticipation for fans here in the Caribbean and around the world. These fixtures are part of a bumper year of international home cricket running from January to August in the Caribbean,” said CWI CEO Johnny Grave.

“A West Indies vs England home Test Series is the biggest sporting and sports tourism event in the Caribbean. Dating back to 1930, when the first England team visited, these fixtures are steeped in history and a new chapter in this great rivalry will be written, this time with the prize of the new Richards Botham Trophy.

“Celebrating these two heroes of cricket and lifelong friends with the new trophy, staging world-class cricket and hosting thousands of England fans will be a welcome boost for cricket and for the whole region.  We are all really looking forward to welcoming fully vaccinated England fans who can not only enjoy some winter sun and Caribbean hospitality but also some world-class cricket with both these England Tours, as well as the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup that will also take place in the West Indies in January next year.”

 The West Indies vs England T20I and Test Series will be broadcast exclusively live on BT Sport in the UK, as well as with CWI’s exclusive broadcast partners in key territories around the world.

The tour schedule is below:

West Indies v England T20I Series, all played at the Kensington Oval, Barbados

Saturday, January 22 – 1st T20I West Indies v England

Sunday, January 23 – 2nd T20I West Indies v England

Wednesday, January 26 – 3rd T20I West Indies v England

Saturday, January 29 – 4th T20I West Indies v England

Sunday, January 30 – 5th T20I West Indies v England

West Indies v England Test Series

March 1-4 – Four-day warm-up match at Coolidge Cricket Ground, Antigua

March 8-12 – 1st Test Match West Indies v England at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua

March 16-20 – 2nd Test Match West Indies v England at Kensington Oval, Barbados

March 24-28 – 3rd Test Match West Indies v England at National Cricket Stadium, Grenada

He took 4-69 to limit New Zealand to 319-8 at Hagley Oval. Rachin Ravindra, Tom Blundell, Nathan Smith and Matt Henry were all caught off his deliveries.

The 21-year-old made his Test debut against India in February and has impressed ever since. He has sent down the most deliveries (2,745) of any bowler in Tests this year – over 500 more than the next-busiest bowler in Sri Lanka's Prabath Jayasuriya.

Bashir, however, remains keen to improve despite his shining display in New Zealand.

"I wouldn't say I was disappointed but there was a bit of frustration when I was bowling out in Pakistan," Bashir told the Test Match Special podcast.

"I'm still 21, I've still got a lot of learning to do. I'm just enjoying every moment and I'm just so thankful."

Bashir had an economy of 3.45 on the first day, the third-best of the bowling attack, and bowled 20 overs, the most on the squad.

Only Indian bowlers Jasprit Bumrah (49) and Ravichandran Ashwin (46) have more wickets than the 45 that Bashir has claimed this year.

"I knew that if I did come on, I'd have a job to do and thankfully, I controlled the run-rate which was handy," said Bashir.

"I was bowling a touch slower but I was focusing on controlling my line with the wind.

"Because the wind was very strong, I was trying to focus on what I needed to do with my body to get the line I needed to bowl, which was outside off.”

His four-fer on the first day means Bashir is just one wicket away from becoming the only spin bowler to ever claim a five-wicket haul at the Hagley Oval.

But the on-loan Worcestershire bowler remains grounded about his abilities.

"I'm learning on the job and I'm not perfect. Two years ago I didn't have a county. I'm just very, very thankful for what has happened over the last year,” Bashir added.

Bashir recorded figures of 5-41 at Trent Bridge to become the first spinner since Muttiah Muralitharan in 2006 to take five wickets in a men's Test match. 

The 20-year-old also became England's youngest ever bowler to take five wickets in a home Test as the hosts confirmed the series win on Sunday.

Bashir replaced Somerset team-mate Leach for the home Test series against West Indies after impressing on England’s tour of India.

Prior to being picked for their 4-1 Test defeat to the Men in Blue, Bashir had played in six first-class matches and picked up two five-wicket hauls in three matches.

"We had a chat, and he was over the moon for me," Bashir told BBC Sport on his conversation with Leach after his performance at Trent Bridge. 

"Leachy understandably is getting in the Somerset team ahead of me. He's played a lot more cricket than me and he's a class spinner. I've learned a lot from him.

"A lot of things have happened over the last few years for myself personally, and I'm just grateful for everything."

Still behind Leach in the Somerset pecking order, Bashir went on loan to Worcestershire in order to remain in the County Championship.

Bashir did not feature in England's first Test meeting with the Windies, as they won by an innings and 114 runs in James Anderson's final match. 

At six feet and four inches, he is unusually tall for a spinner and his release point of 2.35 metres is the third-highest recorded for a slow bowler in Test cricket.

Nevertheless, England believe it will serve as a weapon on the hard, bouncy pitches ahead of the 2025-26 Ashes series in Australia.

"I'm grateful I'm a six foot four inch spinner because it's a nice attribute to have," Bashir said. "If you land the ball in the right areas, a few will bounce and a few will skid on, so the bounce does help.

"It's always a learning curve. I'm grateful for everything that's been given to me, and I've just got to keep working hard. I'm still learning, still developing."

The tourists won the toss and elected to field on a green surface, but faced a difficult task with an inspired Kane Williamson (93) top-scoring for the hosts as they finished on 319-8.

It was New Zealand who had the better of the play in the opening two sessions of the day, coming out after tea on 227-4.

But Williamson's wicket, caught off Gus Atkinson, triggered a wobble for the Kiwis, which saw three wickets fall for just 25 runs.

Bashir's deliveries then saw Tom Blundell (17) caught in the off-side and Nathan Smith (three) at leg slip. He also ended a 46-run stand between Glenn Phillips (41*) and Matt Henry (18), with the latter caught, as he added to his earlier wicket of Rachin Ravindra (34).

Frustratingly for England, Phillips had initially been dropped by captain Ben Stokes on a duck and also successfully overturned a dismissal.

But this was a day to celebrate for Bashir, who accredited those above him for his level of performance.

"I wasn't expecting to bowl 20-odd overs and take four wickets on day one, but I knew I had a job to do. Stokesy and Baz [head coach Brendon McCullum] back me 100 per cent and that brings the best out in me," he told Sky Sports

"If I bowl a bad ball there's nothing really, Ben just looks at me and smiles. Even that just gives me so much belief, because I know I can still bowl my best ball. All I was thinking about was trying to take a wicket or create an opportunity.

"I'm not perfect, every day I feel I could play better. But I feel I've developed bowling at some of the best in the world."

Data debrief: Bashir scales new heights

Only Indian bowlers Jasprit Bumrah (49) and Ravichandran Ashwin (46) have more wickets than the 45 that Bashir has claimed this year.

Having been elevated above Jack Leach as England's first-choice spinner, he has bowled 2,745 Test deliveries in 2024 – over 500 more than the next-busiest bowler in Sri Lanka's Prabath Jayasuriya.

Following his performance on day one in Christchurch, he is just one wicket away from becoming the only spin bowler to ever claim a five-wicket haul at the Hagley Oval.

The team’s batsmen faced plenty of criticism in a 2-1 loss to England, earlier this year, and a quick look at the recent batting statistics suggests they may well deserve it.  For the series, the team averaged close to 27.86 and it was one of the best batting performances in a series in recent years.

In fact, it is the fourth-best for the West Indies’ batsmen among all the series consisting of two or more matches since 2017.  Their highest batting average in a Test series consisting of at least two matches since 2017 is 34.66; which came in Zimbabwe in 2017.  Harper knows they will need to do much better to have a chance against the Blackcaps.

  “New Zealand are very competitive, in their own backyard especially.  They play very well as a team.  They plan well and they execute well. We have to be at the top of our game,” Harper told the Mason and Guest radio show.

“Again, a lot of questions will be asked of our batting and that’s the department that needs to step up for us in order for us to have a real chance of getting a positive result in the series,” he added.

The historic England tour ended on a bit of a sour note for the regional team, not only because of a 2-1 loss to the hosts but the manner of the defeat, which represented somewhat of a collapse by the Jason Holder-led unit. Things began brightly with the team putting in a strong all-around performance to secure a four-wicket win in the first Test.

“I’m looking for the team to build on its performance in England.  Winning away Test matches hasn’t been something we have done consistently.  We won one in England and we were positioned to really draw that series comfortably, if not win it, and I’m looking for us to build on that in New Zealand.”

In recent times, the West Indies have not had the best of fortune in New Zealand, where they have lost three of the last four T20 series, with one draw, while losing four of the last five-Test series again managing one draw.

The tourists ended Thursday 79-6 off 34.5 overs, needing a further 171 runs to force England to bat again.

Similar to the first innings, the West Indian top order failed to impress as Kraigg Brathwaite (4), Kirk McKenzie (0), Mikyle Louis (14) and Kavem Hodge (4) all fell within the first 20 overs of the innings with the West Indies teetering at just 37.

Alick Athanaze was next to go after battling hard for 22 to leave the West Indies 55-5 in the 29^th over before Jason Holder and Joshua Da Silva looked set to see out the English bowling for the rest of the day.

This proved not to be the case as Holder became Gus Atkinson’s ninth wicket of his magical debut in the day’s last over for 20 to leave the West Indies 79-6 off 34.5 overs at stumps.

Joshua Da Silva was 8* at the close of play.

James Anderson, Atkinson and skipper Ben Stokes have taken two wickets, each, so far.

Earlier, the hosts progressed to 371 all out off 90 overs after beginning day two 189-3.

Both overnight batsmen, Joe Root and Harry Brook, went on to bring up their fifties.

Root eventually fell for a 114-ball 68 including seven fours while Brook made an even 50 off 64 balls including five fours and a six.

The top scorer on the day, however, was debutant Jamie Smith who hit eight fours and two sixes on his way to a 119-ball 70.

On his return to the Test arena, Jayden Seales was the pick of the West Indian bowlers with 4-77 from 20 overs.

Gudakesh Motie and Jason Holder provided good support for Seales with 2-41 off 16 overs and 2-58 off 18 overs, respectively.

Full Scores:

West Indies 121 all out off 41.4 overs (Mikyle Louis 27, Gus Atkinson 7-45) & 79-6 off 34.5 overs (Alick Athanaze 22, James Anderson 2-11, Ben Stokes 2-25, Gus Atkinson 2-27)

England 371 all out off 90 overs(Zak Crawley 76, Jamie Smith 70, Joe Root 68, Ollie Pope 57, Harry Brook 50, Jayden Seales 4-77, Gudakesh Motie 2-41, Jason Holder 2-58)