Icc Odi Championship

CA stood down the vast majority of its staff on reduced pay from April 27 until the end of the financial year, with concerns over when international action will be able to resume.

Australia are due to stage the ICC T20 World Cup, as well as welcome India for a lucrative tour, yet their home schedule could be at risk because of the global health crisis.

Admitting it is disappointing how the situation has played out, Khawaja hopes CA and the Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA) can work together to come through what he feels is a cash-flow problem that could have been avoided.

"I was very shocked. I knew our projections for revenue were still very high and I think they still are, depending on what happens with the India series," he told Fox Sports.

"It's a bit confusing. I don't have all the financial information in front of me, but it seems like it's more of a cash-flow problem at the moment.

"There's obviously a little bit of mismanagement there somewhere, with the portfolio and putting a lot of money into the share market.

"To me that's Business 101. To make sure you have enough cash reserves if c**p hits the fan.

"So I'm a little bit disappointed on that front... but what's been done is done now, so it's just our responsibility as CA and ACA to work through this."

Khawaja was absent from the list of players to be handed national contracts by CA this week, having not played a Test since being dropped during the 2019 Ashes in England.

The left-hander, who averages over 40 in the longest format, still believes he is one of the best six batsmen in the country and feels the criticism of his play against spin is unjustified.

"Without sounding arrogant, I still feel like I'm one of the top six batsmen in the country," Khawaja said.

"My playing against spin has been right up there as some of the best in the county. Bar maybe Steve Smith, who is an absolute genius.

"But the most important thing is to score runs."

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced a £61million support package on Tuesday to address "the biggest challenge the ECB has faced in its history".

A reduction in salary's for England's centrally contracted players is not yet a part of that effort, although ESPNcricinfo reported ECB chief executive Tom Harrison had written to his counterpart at the Professional Cricketers' Association, Tony Irish, to suggest the country's leading cricket stars should take a lead on this matter.

Harrison himself has volunteered to take a 25 per cent reduction in salary, with the executive management team and board taking a 20 per cent cut for the two months starting April 1. Some staff will also be asked to consent to furloughing under the UK government's coronavirus scheme, before having their salaries topped back up to 100 per cent by the ECB. 

Ben Stokes tweeted to strongly dispute the suggestion he and his team-mates had elected not to take a pay cut, while Morgan told reporters on Wednesday that he had not seen the letter.

"I'm extremely willing to help where I know it's going to make a difference," he said.

"In the extremely uncertain times at the moment, where nobody seems to have any answers of the actual impact it will have on international cricket, English cricket, county cricket, I'm open to absolutely everything.

"I'm very aware how serious the situation is, I'm very aware that everybody will be affected from top to toe within the game and in every sport.

"I'm open to helping where and when I can."

Morgan explained he felt finding the appropriate response was complicated for cricket players because their immediate plans are in such a state of flux.

"The difficult thing we find at the moment when we talk as players is that we can't answer that – we can't answer what is the best way to help out as players," he said.

"Is it to engage on social media? Is it to engage in other streams? Is it just to sit back and let this pass and hopefully we'll play?

"In relation to what we're trying to do and play cricket, get back out on the field, it seems to be quite a while away. The advice that we will be continually getting over the coming weeks is the important stuff."

One of Morgan's World Cup-winning colleagues to have taken a pro-active step in this regard is Jos Buttler.

The Lancashire wicketkeeper has put his shirt from last year's dramatic final triumph over New Zealand at Lord's up for auction on eBay, with the highest bid already in excess of £65,000.

Buttler's shirt is signed by the entire England team and the proceeds will be donated to the Royal Brompton & Harefield Hospitals Charity, to fund life-saving equipment to help those affected by COVID-19.

"It's an incredibly kind gesture," Morgan said. "Certainly, I'm not one for holding on to memorabilia and if I can help out in any way by auctioning off or donating to charity, I do what I can.

"Other people are different. We've seen during the Australian bushfires, where Shane Warne auctioned his baggy green cap for a million dollars or something ridiculous.

"The impact that can have on so many lives, as opposed to sitting in somebody's drawer and just having it as a bit of a trophy – personally that's something I don't understand.

"Jos, I suppose, is one of those guys. I think his shirt will go for a lot of money but the gesture in itself, to help aid and buy new equipment, I think is outstanding."

The Proteas were due to play three one-dayers and a trio of Twenty20 contests against their hosts, but the trip will now have to be rearranged.

Sri Lanka and South Africa jointly announced the decision on Monday.

"It is very sad that we have been forced to take this step and we will re-schedule the tour as soon as cricket returns to a sense of normality and our international fixture list allows," said Cricket South Africa's acting chief executive Jacques Faul.
 
"Our Proteas would not have been able to prepare properly taking our own lockdown situation into account and, more importantly, health considerations for our players, which are always paramount, were the over-riding factor.
 
"It would have been a particularly important tour for us with the three ODIs counting for the new ICC one-day league and the T20 programme being part of our preparation for the ICC T20 World Cup scheduled for Australia later this year. 

"It is very frustrating for the players who want to build on the good form they showed at the backend of our home summer against Australia."

Since beating Dave Cameron to the top post last year, Skerritt, who had said during his campaign that foreign coaches do not have the connection to the players that local ones do and that his administration would be providing opportunities for coaches from the region to contribute to team building, has hired three overseas coaches.

Skerritt’s administration has overseen the hiring of Coaching Education Manager, Chris Brabazon from Australia, Batting Coach Monty Desai from India, and Fielding Coach Trevor Penney from Zimbabwe.

But according to Skerritt, his administration has been forced to look overseas because of the paucity of expertise in the region and that his campaign did not mean he would not hire any coaches internationally.

“There is no reverse at all. First thing is that I didn’t say we would hire West Indian coaches only. I said we would adopt a West Indian-first policy, whereby, we would look at the individuals we have in the region, and if we cannot find the respective talent to fill those roles, then we would have to go overseas to do so,” said Skerritt in an interview with Jamaican newspaper The Gleaner.

According to Skerritt, not having the requisite expertise at the moment did not mean the Caribbean would never have these types of persons because one of the jobs of each of the persons contracted, is to coach the coaches in the region.

“These coaches have been hired with a contractual obligation to share their best practices, and this is a policy with which we are moving forward so that we can develop our local coaches. In a week’s time, Jimmy Adams and head coach Phil Simmons, as well as our CEO, Johnny Grave, will meet to further the discussion on coaching as we look to develop our game soon,” said Skerritt.

Cummins headed back to Sydney after the second Test – a second defeat – to be with his mother, who is in palliative care with breast cancer.

Former skipper Smith led the Australia team in the absence of the regular captain and oversaw a dominant nine-wicket win in the third Test in Indore.

That victory secured Australia's place in the World Test Championship final, but they need another result in the final match of the series to earn a draw.

Smith will again deputise for Cummins, Australia confirmed on Monday.

Cummins, who is also the ODI captain, has been included in Australia's 50-over squad, with no decision yet made on his involvement in the white-ball series.

Fast bowler Jhye Richardson has withdrawn from that ODI series due to a hamstring injury with Nathan Ellis replacing him in the squad.

Recruitment start immediately for a Red Ball Head Coach for Test and ‘A’ Team cricket, as well as a White Ball Head Coach for One-Day Internationals (ODI) and T20 International (T20I) cricket, the governing body said in a statement released on Wednesday.

"After recently completing an independent review of our 2022 ICC World Cup performance, which included a closer look at the roles of the current Head Coach position, we believe it is now necessary to split the role and engage separate coaches for red and white ball formats,” said CWI’s Director of Cricket Jimmy Adams.

“The increased frequency of back-to-back multi-format tours combined with the specific demands of the respective formats no longer provides enough time for one individual to adequately plan, prepare and review across bilateral series and franchise itineraries that are so condensed.

“Separating the roles will also provide the head coaches with more time to oversee players’ ongoing development away from tours directly, and through increased engagement and planning with suitable high-performance programmes and coaches.”

According to Adams, the decision to separate the head coaching roles stems from the recommendation by the independent three-member World Cup Review Group that was appointed by CWI to conduct a comprehensive review of the West Indies Men’s team’s early exit from at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia last year.

The group was chaired by Justice Patrick Thompson Jr., a High Court Judge of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, and included Brian Lara, the West Indies batting legend, along with former South African, Pakistan, and Sri Lankan international coach, Mickey Arthur.

The position of West Indies Men’s Head Coach became vacant when Phil Simmons resigned following the 2022 ICC T20 World Cup, and subsequently relinquished the post following the end of the West Indies tour of Australia last December.

Andre Coley is the current interim head coach for the recent Test series in Zimbabwe and the current multi-format tour of South Africa.

Australia opener Warner polled 194 votes, one more than Smith, while last year's winner Pat Cummins was also close behind with 185.

Marnus Labuschagne won the award for Men's Test Player of the Year, with Smith again coming a close second, while Aaron Finch claimed the ODI honour for the first time and Warner made it a double by landing the T20I gong.

Warner previously won the Allan Border Medal in 2016 and 2017, with four-time winners Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke the only players to have won the accolade, considered the most prestigious individual prize in Australian men's cricket, on more occasions.

The 33-year-old impressed across all formats during last season, scoring three centuries at the Cricket World Cup at an average of 71.88.

Warner struggled as Australia retained the Ashes in England but rebounded with superb home Test performances against Pakistan, versus whom he scored 335 not out in Adelaide, and then New Zealand.

The batsman's T20 form was spectacular, as he averaged 147.61 in three clashes with Sri Lanka and 140 in another trio of matches against Pakistan, helping him to see off 2019 winner Glenn Maxwell in the voting for the T20 honour in addition to the Allan Border Medal.

Warner and Smith both impressed as they returned from one-year suspensions in 2019 after their involvement in the ball-tampering affair the previous year.

The Australian Cricket Awards are voted for by players, the media and umpires after each Australia game.

Fast bowler Wes Agar was named The Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year, while in the women's game The Belinda Clark Award went to Ellyse Perry, who like Warner is a three-time winner of the top prize available.

The batsman, who this week won his third Allan Border Medal, is eager to play the upcoming T20 World Cup tournaments in 2020 and 2021, though he is pondering stepping down from the shortest form of the game after that.

Warner was also named Australia's Twenty20 player of the year at Monday's awards ceremony.

But the 33-year-old did not play the most recent edition of the Big Bash League and the international T20s could be the next to go.

"I don't have a BBL team; I took a break during this period, and that was about my body and my mind, making sure I'm getting ready for the next series that comes up," said Warner.  

"If you look at T20 internationals, we've got back-to-back World Cups as well, that's probably a format that could be one I'd probably drop in a few years.

"I have to look at the schedule; it's going to be very difficult [for me] to play all three forms, and good luck to all the guys who want to keep playing that. 

"You talk to guys like AB de Villiers and Virender Sehwag, these guys who've done it for a long time, it does become challenging. 

"Having three young kids and my wife at home all the time, the constant travelling becomes very difficult. 

"If it was to come down to [leaving out] one format, it would probably be the international T20s."

The BBL has increased in size every year and is now a mammoth 61-match event, though Warner insisted that is not the only factor at play in his decision to step aside.

Warner added: "For me it's about working out timeframes with different series, identify when you need a bit of a rest.

"Generally, we play a Test series and go into a one-day series. We went to India and then generally you have a one-day series at home, back-to-back games and then you go away. 

"So, it was a bit different this year; I was able to have that opportunity to have that break which I'm grateful for.

"A lot of the guys try to go back and play as much as they can. Sometimes, you look at the [BBL] finals as an example, they come back and play the final.

"You're taking someone's spot as well, which is always tough as a player, you don't want to come back and just take someone's spot for one game."

De Kock has assumed the captaincy and will combine that with his usual duties as a wicketkeeper and batsman, the Proteas star insisting there is no risk of him being overloaded.

South Africa, who lost the Test series to England, face three ODIs against the 2019 Cricket World Cup winners, with the first taking place in Cape Town on Tuesday.

And De Kock will gladly continue to keep wicket in addition to his other roles.

"It [keeping wicket] is the one thing that helps me with my captaincy and my batting," he told the media. "It's key for me to hang on to the gloves for as long as I can.

"You guys think it sounds like a lot of work. I've been doing it for quite a while now, so it becomes second nature.

"Now, with the captaincy, it adds a bit more responsibility to me, which I enjoy. I think I am going to hang on with the keeping and the batting for a while."

The Proteas finished seventh in the pool phase at the World Cup last year, losing five of their nine matches in a miserable showing.

De Kock acknowledged there was significant room for improvement but the 27-year-old is looking to the future with optimism.

"We are in a rebuilding stage in the 50-over format," he said.

"We are looking forward to the next World Cup and we are at a stage where we are looking for youngsters to come through, and to give them the best opportunities we can, and hopefully help them grow as cricketers and be great prospects for us in future.

"We just want to win the series for now. There is a lot of time to give a lot of opportunities but for now, it's important for us as a team that we just get a series win.

"That's more important at the moment for the morale of the team. In the future, we will be giving more opportunities when we decide its best for the team."

The hosts headed into the contest on the back of coronavirus-interrupted preparations and ructions behind the scenes between players and the national board, but scrapped their way to a competitive 262-9 despite no player passing 50.

Dhawan - captaining a largely second-string India, given Virat Kohli's Test squad have departed for their Test series in England next month - ensured the tourists reached their target with 80 balls to spare, while debutant Ishan Kishan (59) and Prithvi Shaw (43) also impressed - the latter hitting nine of his 24 deliveries to the boundary.

Avishka Fernando and wicketkeeper Minod Bhanuka put on 49 for the opening wicket before Fernando lobbed Yuzvendra Chahal's (2-52) first delivery to Manish Pandey at short cover to depart for 33.

Leg-spinner Chahal excelled in tandem with slow left-armer Kuldeep Yadav (2-48), who accounted for Bhanuka (27) and Bhanuka Rajapaksa – the number three's breezy 24 from 22 deliveries briefly threatening to change the tempo – to leave Sri Lanka 89-3.

From that point it was a repeated story of useful contributions without anything substantial. New captain Dasun Shanaka and Charith Asalanka diligently compiled 39 and 38 respectively before each falling to swing bowler Deepak Chahar (2-37), while Krunal Pandya's miserly left-arm spin (1-26) snared up the middle overs, leaving Chamika Karunaratne's unbeaten 43 off 35 balls as Sri Lanka's highest score.

Shaw made it clear India would not be shackled in similar fashion as he climbed into Sri Lanka from the off.

Isuru Udana's two overs disappeared for 27 – including three successive fours through the covers - and the score was 58 when Fernando caught Shaw at long-on off Dhananjaya de Silva, whose two wickets came at a steep cost of 49 runs in five overs.

Kishan, who enjoyed an unforgettable 23rd birthday, ensured there was little let-up. He danced down the pitch to dispatch Dhananjaya for six first ball, clattering the next for four more through cover point.

The youngster reached a half-century in 33 balls and edged his 42nd behind off Lakshan Sandakan but Dhawan remained as a regal presence, finding further willing allies in Manish Pandey (26) and Suryakumar Yadav (31 not out) to complete a resounding victory.

Shanaka wants more variety from Sri Lanka

The difference between two – in isolation, at least – impressive opening partnerships set the tone for the contest. But the end of the first powerplay, Sri Lanka were 55-1. India were already up to 91-1 after 10 overs. "The Indians batted aggressively," Shanaka said. "We needed to vary the pace as the ball was coming on to the bat nicely. In the next game, we will have to improve on that."

Dhawan laughing as the elder statesman

When you've top-scored as a victorious captain and also surpassed 6,000 career ODI runs, there is perhaps no better time for self-deprecation. Dhawan certainly thought so, claiming he did not have the required shots to reach three figures with an exciting young batting line-up firing all around him.

"I was telling them to take it easy actually," he beamed, before chuckling his way through a post-match presentation where Shaw was named player of the match despite scoring half as many runs as his skipper.

"The way these young boys play in the IPL, they get lots of exposure and they just finished the game in the first 15 overs only. I thought about my hundred but there were not many runs left. When Surya came out to bat, I thought I need to improve my skills."

Opening batsman Dhawan sustained the problem while fielding in the first innings of the third ODI against Australia - a series India won 2-1 - in Bengaluru on Sunday.

An MRI has since confirmed the left-hander sustained a grade two injury to his acromioclavicular joint and will begin rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy in the first week of November.

Sanju Samson had replaced him in the T20 squad with Rohit Sharma and Mohammed Shami returning after being rested for the January series against Sri Lanka, while Prithvi Shaw got the nod for the ODIs.

The first of five T20s against New Zealand is at Eden Park on Friday, before the three ODIs begin with a meeting at Seddon Park on February 5.

T20 squad: Virat Kohli (captain), Rohit Sharma, Sanju Samson, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Rishabh Pant, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Navdeep Saini, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur.

ODI squad: Virat Kohli (captain), Rohit Sharma, Prithvi Shaw, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Rishabh Pant, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Navdeep Saini, Shardul Thakur, Kedar Jadhav.

Former limited-overs captain Dhoni was not among the 27 India players to receive deals for the period from October 2019 to September 2020.

The wicketkeeper-batsman has not been in action since the semi-finals of the 2019 Cricket World Cup last July, though he has not officially retired from the international arena.

India coach Ravi Shastri previously said Dhoni had a chance of featuring at the T20 World Cup if he performed well in the Indian Premier League, which starts in March.

Dhoni made his international debut in an ODI against Bangladesh in 2004 and captained his country to glory at the 2007 World Twenty20, 2011 World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy.

He featured in 90 Tests before retiring from the longest format in 2014.

Ambati Rayudu, Dinesh Karthik and Khaleel Ahmed also lost their central contracts, while Mayank Agarwal, Navdeep Saini, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Shreyas Iyer and Washington Sundar were granted deals by the BCCI.

Du Plessis and Van der Dussen were both involved in the T20 series with Australia but were rested for the ongoing ODI series, which South Africa lead 1-0.

However, they will feature in a three-match series in India, which starts in Dharamsala on March 12.

Also included is left-arm spinner Linde, whose only previous international appearance came in the third Test against India last year in Ranchi, where South Africa lost by an innings and 202 runs.

Linde took 4-133 in that heavy defeat, and has 86 wickets in his list A career at an average of 28.95.

Kyle Verreynne, whose 48 off 64 balls helped the Proteas beat Australia in the first ODI, keeps his place in the squad. Tabraiz Shamsi is unavailable for selection as he and his wife are expecting the birth of their first child.

"It is exciting to see the amount of competition for spots that we have within the team and in the franchises, it's a good headache for us as selectors to have," Linda Zondi, CSA's independent selector, said. 

"We are satisfied with our picks for what will certainly be a challenging tour of India. We saw some promising performances last year from the T20 squad that travelled there and we wanted to give a player like George Linde another crack at the conditions which seemed to really suit him. 

"We are also particularly pleased with the balance of youth and experience that we have achieved while our young leadership group continues to establish itself. We are looking forward to some good performances in this relatively short tour."

South Africa squad: Quinton de Kock (captain), Temba Bavuma, Faf du Plessis, Beuran Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen, George Linde, Keshav Maharaj, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Andile Phehlukwayo, Lutho Sipamla, Jon-Jon Smuts, Rassie van der Dussen, Kyle Verreynne.  

Du Plessis has stepped down as Proteas skipper across all three formats in recent weeks, with Quinton de Kock taking charge.

Although the 35-year-old is playing against Australia in the ongoing Twenty20 international series, he missed the clashes with England in the same format earlier in February.

And Du Plessis will be absent again when South Africa return to 50-over action on Saturday.

"With a busy year and a half in mind, the selectors have opted to give further rest to Faf du Plessis and other senior players, such as Rassie van der Dussen and Dwaine Pretorius, while giving themselves an opportunity to see what some of the country's up and coming talents have to offer," CSA posted on its Twitter page as the squad was announced.

Keshav Maharaj is granted a recall, having last played limited-overs cricket for the Proteas in August 2018.

The 30-year-old left-arm spinner has been a Test regular in recent years but is yet to play T20s for South Africa and has featured in just four ODIs.

Meanwhile, Lutho Sipamla, who debuted against England at the start of the month, and Janneman Malan, with two T20 caps, are among the younger players included, along with Kyle Verreynne.

Verreynne, 22, is yet to feature for his country at senior level.

South Africa ODI squad in full: Quinton de Kock, Temba Bavuma, David Miller, Kagiso Rabada, Andile Phehlukwayo, Tabraiz Shamsi, Lungi Ngidi, Beuran Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen, Janneman Malan, Jon-Jon Smuts, Anrich Nortje, Lutho Sipamla, Keshav Maharaj, Kyle Verreynne.

The all-rounder will undergo an operation on his left arm on Thursday, with his spot in the ODI and T20 squads taken by D'Arcy Short.

Maxwell had been recalled by his country for the first time since taking a break from cricket in October to concentrate on his mental health, but he now faces up to eight weeks on the sidelines.

After the news was confirmed by Cricket Australia, Maxwell wrote on Twitter: "Shattered to be missing the South Africa tour. I wish all the lads the best of luck over there and I'll be watching from home!

"Thanks for all the wishes of support."

The Wallabies face three T20s and three ODIs against the Proteas, with Maxwell's absence coming after an injury he carried in the closing weeks of the Big Bash League season.

The 31-year-old helped Melbourne Stars to the final of that competition, where they lost to Sydney Sixers.

National selector Trevor Hohns lamented the loss of Maxwell but is confident Western Australia's Short can fill the void.

"We are disappointed to lose Glenn this close to the tour as we were looking forward to welcoming him back to the national side in both the 20- and 50-over formats after his break during the summer," Hohns said.

"Unfortunately, the pain he has experienced in the elbow in the latter stages of the BBL increased over the weekend and he will have surgery immediately to rectify the situation.

"An opportunity has now presented itself for D'Arcy and we're confident he'll make the most of whatever opportunities come his way in South Africa."

Having been reintegrated to the team after his involvement in the ball-tampering scandal against South Africa in 2018 resulted in a one-year ban, Warner edged out Steve Smith by one vote to win the country's top individual prize.

He expressed his thanks to team-mates, coaches and Cricket Australia after beating Smith and last year's winner Pat Cummins to the accolade.

Warner also fought back the tears as he thanked his parents and wife Candice, who he described as his "rock and inspiration".

"I'm taken aback by this," said Warner. "It has been quite challenging. I want to thank Cricket Australia, Belinda Clark, Kevin Roberts and Justin Langer for that opportunity [to come back].

"You were really working your backsides off behind the scenes to reintegrate the three of us [Warner, Smith and Cameron Bancroft] into the cricketing family.

"Everything to get us back in there amongst the guys, taking us to Dubai, starting that way, was absolutely fantastic and the way [ODI captain] Aaron Finch and [Test captain] Tim Paine accepted us and were always in contact with us, we really appreciate that. 

"I want to thank my home club team at Randwick-Petersham for giving me that opportunity to go out there and play grade cricket. 

"I realised a lot of things during that time off that we don't actually understand or realise when we're in this bubble, the importance of what this game is and the smiles on the faces that we bring to a lot of people.

"Sitting back and reflecting upon the time I had away from the game, you don't realise the importance and effect it has on everyone. It put things in perspective.

"Getting cricket taken away from you, something you've always dreamed of, it really hurt, so I'm just extremely grateful to be accepted back by Cricket Australia, the peers and also by the fans. 

"I had mixed emotions about how I was going to be received back here at home - I definitely knew what I was in for in England and obviously in a couple of weeks' time [in South Africa]. But it's just been remarkable to come back.

"Standing here I'm just really proud to have that opportunity again." 

Warner struggled in the Ashes but otherwise enjoyed a superb year across all formats.

But he thought his woes against England would have cost him a shot at the Allan Border Medal, which only Michael Clarke and Ricky Ponting have won on more occasions.

"It was a shock and a surprise," he said. "When it is that close, you really don't know so it's a big surprise to be honest.

"I had an absolutely horrendous Ashes and generally, across the Test matches, that's where a lot of the votes are polled, so I didn't think I had a chance.

"I really had the hunger and determination to come back and do the best for our team. We've been great across all three formats for 12 months, I couldn't be any prouder to stand here and receive the award."

England won the Test opener but went down 3-1 over four matches, while they twice led a five-match T20 series before a 3-2 loss.

The tourists were always chasing in the ODIs, both across the series – after India's opening win – and in all three matches, as they bowled first on each occasion.

Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes led a superb victory in the second ODI, but Sunday's decider saw India edge to a seven-run victory despite the best efforts of Sam Curran, who equalled the highest score for a batsman coming in at eight in an ODI with an unbeaten 95.

Defeat meant England have still only won one multi-game bilateral ODI series in India, losing the past six in a row.

The world champions have also been beaten in back-to-back series for the first time since a run of three in 2014 (two against Sri Lanka and one versus India).

But stand-in captain Buttler, who was defeated for just the third time as skipper in ODIs, maintained a positive outlook going forward.

"We've been a brilliant side for a long period of time now," he said. "I think we lost those two series [the T20s and ODIs], but that's two losses in our last 11 series.

"So, we're still a very good side, expanding that talent pool. There's been a few guys obviously missing from this side and guys coming in to have opportunities, which is fantastic.

"And that's been a big part of us getting better and better as a side. We never want to put limitations on what we're capable of. We'll continue to try to push the boundaries and strive to do that.

"And I think the exposure of players coming in and continuing to play in that fashion that we expect is great.

"Expanding that talent pool and pushing each other from within and building the strength in the squad, and the competition for places in the XI, is only going to continue to improve our side.

"So of course, it's again a long cycle looking ahead to a World Cup, but we always want to learn, and you want to win at the same time. We're of course disappointed when we don't do that.

"But of course, there are big pictures moving forward and we'll continue to be a very good side.

"There's more and more experience in guys, a lot of guys, in and around 100 caps as well. So, the experience in the squad is huge, and the exposure for other guys coming in is vital as well.

"I think we're in a really good place as a side."

England have a packed schedule this year before heading back to India in October for the World Twenty20, a tournament in which they were beaten in the final in dramatic fashion five years ago.

Buttler added: "We came here wanting to win. We play the game to win matches and to win series.

"And in the must-win games at the end of these T20 or one-dayers, we haven't quite managed to do that. So of course, we were disappointed with that.

"But there'll be some great learnings taken from the tour, some great exposure to players playing in this part of the world for the first time.

"I think once again expanding the talent pool available to us in one-day cricket, building ahead to the T20 World Cup in a few months' time and of course the 2023 World Cup later on down the line here as well.

"So, any time we expand that player pool, that creates competition, that creates better performance and that's the upward trajectory that we're always after as a side, that continuous improvement."

A succession of downpours in Durban delayed play, then interrupted the action after South Africa began their innings, and finally brought about a soggy end to the contest.

England were seeking victory at Kingsmead to make up for their thumping seven-wicket defeat at Newlands on Tuesday, while the hosts were aiming for a win to seal a series success.

Play began almost two hours later than planned due to the wet weather, and South Africa reached 37-1 in 6.3 overs – Joe Root bowling dangerman Quinton de Kock for 11 - before heavy showers forced the players off.

A no-result outcome looked inevitable as the outfield took a drenching, but an early-evening inspection saw the umpires give the go-ahead for play to resume, with the match cut to 26-overs-a-side.

South Africa pressed on and Reeza Hendricks reached an unbeaten 35, but the fall of Temba Bavuma lbw to Chris Jordan for 21 - leaving the home side 71-2 - coincided with the return of rain.

Confirmation of the abandonment came just over 20 minutes later, with the teams now heading to Johannesburg for Monday's final match in the rubber.

England have not travelled to Pakistan since 2005 but have been offered the chance to play white-ball games - reportedly three Twenty20 fixtures - in January.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) agreed to play fixtures on English soil earlier this year amid the coronavirus pandemic, the two nations facing each other in a three-Test series followed by a trio of T20 contests while staying in bio-secure bubbles.

England's schedule for the coming months is still unclear due to the impact of the COVID-19 crisis, with tours to Sri Lanka and India yet to be confirmed.

Security concerns following the 2009 terrorist attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore put a stop to teams visiting Pakistan, though international cricket has slowly begun to return to the country.

"We welcome the fact that international cricket is returning to Pakistan and are committed to doing what we can to help this develop further," a statement from the ECB read.

"As with any proposed tour that takes place at this time, the safety and welfare of our players and staff is paramount.

"As such, there are a number of factors that need to be taken into consideration, including the proposed protocols in relation to COVID-19 bio-secure bubbles, the proposed levels of security around the team, as well as the feasibility of undertaking this tour against the backdrop of an already busy schedule of international cricket for the England men's team.

"We will be liaising with the PCB, as well as other partners, over the coming weeks to work through these considerations, before a final decision will be taken in due course."

The opening match of England's tour had gone down to the penultimate over as Jos Buttler's side chased down a modest Bangladesh total, but the hosts put them in to bat first this time and were scarcely in the contest thereafter.

Opener Jason Roy scored 132 and Buttler weighed in with 76 to help England finish on 326-7 and set Bangladesh a target it quickly became clear they would not reach.

Indeed, Curran had two wickets inside the first over, accounting for Litton Das and Najmul Hossain Shanto from consecutive balls, and added a third soon after as Mushfiqur Rahim was caught behind.

Opener Tamim Iqbal (35) finally found a partner in the form of Shakib Al Hasan (58), yet Moeen Ali ended that stand, and Bangladesh could not keep Curran out of the game as he took the catch which removed Shakib.

While that gave Adil Rashid the first of four wickets, Curran of course completed the job with the dismissal of Mustafizur Rahman to finish with 4-29 – Bangladesh all out for 194 with just over five overs remaining.

Curran had also contributed with the bat, scoring an unbeaten 33 off 19 balls, although the partnership of Roy and Buttler did much of the heavy lifting.

England were 96-3 when Buttler joined Roy in the middle, but the pair put on 109 for the fourth wicket to take the game away from Bangladesh.

Although Roy was eventually trapped lbw by Shakib attempting to sweep, Buttler ploughed on for a time and Moeen Ali's 42 kept up the scoring.

Curran hit three sixes in a fast finish, and he was the headline act thereafter.

Roy among England ODI royalty

Although Curran later stole some of the limelight, Roy's 132 – the exact difference between the two teams – put England firmly in control.

It was his fourth-highest ODI score and his 12th century in the format. Only Joe Root (16) and Eoin Morgan (13) have more – not bad company to be keeping.

Streak ended with Bangladesh repeat

Arriving in Bangladesh, England had been winless in their past four 50-over series, but a hard-fought victory in the opening match set the stage for that sequence to be ended in convincing fashion in Mirpur.

England have now won five straight ODIs against Bangladesh, who suffered their first home series defeat since 2016-17 – also against England.