Twenty20 Internationals

Mohammad Hafeez (69 off 34 balls) and Babar Azam (56 from 44) took Pakistan up to an imposing 195-4 in the second match of the series at Old Trafford, two days after the opener was abandoned due to rain.

Jonny Bairstow laid the platform for England with a rapid 44, but they were 66-2 in the seventh over with Shadab Khan on a hat-trick after dismissing the wicketkeeper-batsman and Tom Banton.

Morgan blasted 66 off 33 balls in a third-wicked stand of 112 with Malan (54 not out), who hit the winning runs off the first ball of the last over to complete their third-highest successful T20 chase.

Babar and Fakhar Zaman (36) got the tourists off to a flyer after Morgan put them in, but Adil Rashid (2-32) ended an opening stand of 72 in the ninth over when the left-hander was taken by Banton.

The captain crunched Rashid for his seventh boundary wide of extra cover to reach a 37-ball half-century and Hafeez reached 2,000 T20I runs landmark by hooking Mahmood over the ropes.

Babar fell tamely to Rashid, but Hafeez took centre stage, imperiously launching Tom Curran for two sixes in a 16th over that cost 23 before departing in the last over of a brilliant innings for Pakistan.

Bairstow struck two sixes as England raced to 50 off 29 balls in a great start to the run chase, but his swashbuckling 24-ball knock ended when he top-edged Shadab to Imad Wasim.

Banton (20) was trapped in front off the next ball and Morgan survived a big lbw later in that brilliant over, an umpire's call verdict that Pakistan were left to rue along with the loss of Mohammad Amir to a hamstring injury.

Morgan and Malan cashed in on a great track to take England well on their way to victory, the captain facing just 27 balls to make his 13th T20I half-century.

The powerful Morgan cleared the ropes four times and although he was sent on his way by Haris Rauf in the 17th over, the composed Malan sealed it with a four after Sam Billings put England on the verge of victory with a couple of sublime boundaries.

Hafeez makes up for lost time, more brilliance from Babar 

All-rounder Hafeez had not batted in a competitive match since featuring in the Pakistan Super League in March, but the veteran made up for lost time.

Hafeez turns 40 in October, but showed he has plenty of cricket left in him yet as he took the England attack to all parts, including drives and swats down the ground for four as he made a 12th T20 half-century for his country.

Babar timed the ball majestically from the start, showing how he rose to the top of the rankings in another high quality innings after making two half-centuries in the Test series loss to England.

Morgan and Malan masterclass

England needed a rebuilt when Shadab saw the back of both openers with, Banton - who scored a blistering half-century on Friday - foxed by a top spinner to follow Bairstow into the pavilion.

Experienced left-handers Morgan and Malan showed they were just the men for the job, the skipper taking the role of chief aggressor with some stunning clean striking.

Malan showed what great touch he is in when he creamed Shaheen Afridi for a sixth four of a classy knock to give England a series lead with one match to play at the same venue on Tuesday.

Vice-captain Stokes is a leading contender to take over as skipper in the longest format after Joe Root stepped down last week.

England white-ball captain Morgan says the all-rounder has all the right credentials to step up and succeed Root.

He told Sky Sports: "Obviously Ben is a fantastic player, a brilliant leader, though he doesn't need to have the captain's armband on to lead like he does.

"The experience of the World Cup final here [at Lord's] really showed his true colours in the way that he led from start to finish – and throughout the whole tournament as well. He'd certainly be a candidate.

"I think it would be hard to turn down the captaincy. It's a privileged position to be in. Obviously circumstances have to be right, but most people who want to take red-ball cricket forward would like to take it on."

Morgan played his last Test for England a decade ago and has not featured in a first-class match for Middlesex since 2019, so he has no interest in replacing Root.

Asked if he would be interested in the role, the 35-year-old batter said: "Absolutely not, no.

"I'm very happy with the role that I play within the white-ball team and English cricket at the moment. It has been the part of my career that I'm most proud of.

"My career is firmly focused on World Cups, and hopefully sustaining what we've built over the last six years is probably going to be the most important part of what I leave behind eventually.

"I haven't played red-ball cricket for a long time. I wouldn't have any interest in the job. I would be no good at it."

Morgan confirmed his retirement from international cricket on Tuesday.

He led England to World Cup glory in 2019, three years after taking them to a T20 World Cup final.

However, he has passed 50 just once in his past eight ODIs since scoring 106 against his country of birth Ireland in February 2020.

After over seven years in charge, Morgan has decided to call time on his international career, and Buttler is widely expected to replace him.

While the wicketkeeper is not the only name in the frame, Morgan believes Buttler - who served as his vice-captain - has all the ability to step up and lead the side.

"Thankfully it's not a decision that I have to make," Morgan told Sky Sports.

"There's always some obvious candidates, Jos Buttler being one of them, Moeen Ali being the other. There's some tremendous leaders as well in that group – Jonny Bairstow, Jason Roy, Chris Woakes, Chris Jordan – guys that could definitely do the job.

"Jos has been in charge, an unbelievable vice-captain while I've been captain and when he's stepped in he's been an exceptional leader.

"He obviously commands himself with the bat as one of the best players in the world and as a leader in the group, he commands tremendous respect."

Asked if he has any concerns Buttler taking on the captaincy would hinder the rest of his game, Morgan replied: "No, not at all.

"He's done it before, on tours that I've missed or been injured, he's come straight in and that's a true test of how you hold the weight of each and every decision and how it impacts your performance.

"The evidence is there that it’s never effected Jos."

Morgan sees the future being bright for England, no matter who takes over the captaincy.

He said: "I think the foundations that have been built over the last seven years are hopefully ones that will be around for a long time.

"The future is bright. We're more experienced, consistent and much more talent than we've ever had in England. The strength in depth… the future is extremely bright."

That is the message from former England captain Michael Atherton, who was speaking after news circulated that Morgan is expected to announce his retirement on Tuesday.

Morgan has endured a tough spell with the bat in recent times, managing to pass 50 just once in his past eight ODI innings and failing to score in his last two outings against the Netherlands.

England have still won eight consecutive ODIs, their longest such winning streak since a sequence of the same length in 2017, but Morgan promised to step down when he was no longer contributing as a batter.

Vice-captain Jos Buttler appears poised to take the captaincy from Morgan, who has rejuvenated the white-ball fortunes of England since being appointed as skipper in 2014.

England won the Cricket World Cup in the 50-over format with a dramatic victory over New Zealand at Lord's in 2019, three years after reaching the World Twenty20 final.

Morgan's side also reached the T20 World Cup semi-finals in 2021, and Atherton believes the 35-year-old is making the right choice to step down with his legacy still intact.

"He created a one-day dynasty. Having taken over at a low point – the 2015 World Cup, which went badly – he decided it was time to change England's approach," Atherton told Sky Sports.

"For seven years, England have been as good at white-ball cricket as anybody. And that's the first time really you can say that about our one-day side.

"He will go down as one of England's most significant captains, but I think he has picked exactly the right time to go.

"He said the other day, 'I'm feeling old', and he told Middlesex he couldn't play two T20 games in succession. If you can't do that, how are you then going to captain in a World Cup when they come thick and fast?"

Morgan is set to retire as the all-time leading run-scorer for England in ODI and T20I cricket, with 6,957 and 2,458 runs respectively.

Having also played 23 ODIs for Ireland, his 225 ODIs and 115 T20s are England records for appearances, and Nasser Hussain says Matthew Mott's side will lose their greatest ever leader and a brilliant batter.

"I had an interview with Rob Key when Rob Key got the job, and I asked him about Eoin Morgan and the white-ball side," former England captain Hussain added.

"He said that one thing about Eoin Morgan is that he will always do what is best for the team. If he's not contributing to the team and if he feels him being out of the team is better for that team, then he will go. That will be the decision that Morgan is making.

"He has been short of form, short of fitness and there are other people now – there are so many white-ball batters who could be playing. 

"It's not the 10 players he is taking on the field with him, it's in the one he's leaving behind because he's in that spot, and Morgan will always think of that one.

"One thing for certain is that he has been our greatest ever white-ball captain. He's a World Cup-winning captain, and he is a superb player.

"He was the one that was reverse-sweeping, reverse-scooping and playing all of these funky shots. He was way ahead of his time both as a player and as a captain."

The Proteas capitalised on dream batting conditions to post a mammoth 222-6 in the decider at SuperSport Park on Sunday, Heinrich Klaasen top-scoring with 66 from only 33 balls.

That was not enough to prevent the tourists from winning a run-fest by five wickets with five balls to spare, captain Morgan matching his own record for the fastest T20 half-century by an England batsman.

Morgan bludgeoned 57 not out from only 22 balls - striking seven sixes - after Jos Buttler (57 from 29) and Jonny Bairstow (64 off 34) also flexed their muscles in Centurion.

Skipper Morgan believes England sent out a message to their rivals with the T20 World Cup in Australia on the horizon.

"It creates belief that you can chase down anything and it reinforces what our method is in chasing big totals down," said the England captain, named man of the match and series.

"It's a reference point to what we can do, there’s no limit on restricting yourself to certain things. You want to leave everything out there with the bat.

"It won’t always work but it will give us the best chance of winning.

"Moving forward from this series, our learning will continue to get better, hopefully, because I don't think we’ve played at our best in this series."

Morgan also gave his backing to Buttler, although he did not believe the wicketkeeper-batsman was at his devastating best at the top of the order.

"I'm delighted for Jos," Morgan told Sky Sports. "I think he has as much talent as somebody like AB de Villiers; it took De Villiers a long time, and a lot of games, to get going in a South African shirt.

"We need to back guys that have that sort of talent; Jos has been around a long time now and we know that when he delivers, we win games of cricket. It's great to see him back in the runs.

"I think the priority at the moment is to get the top three facing as many balls as they can - they are the most destructive players that we have.

"If that changes between now and the World Cup, and we feel the need to fill a gap somewhere, then we might change it but, for the moment, it's an extremely destructive batting line-up to play against."

Archer is expected to be in the England side when they start a five-match Twenty20 International series against India at Narendra Modi Stadium on Friday, having missed the final Test at the same Ahmedabad venue due to an elbow injury.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan questioned Archer's desire for featuring in the longest format, comments which clearly irked the paceman.

Archer wrote in his Daily Mail column: "A lot of people are saying a lot of things about my right elbow, and so as the person the elbow belongs to, I would like to say something in response.

"Let me be clear about something: I've never changed my attitude towards playing for England. I've always wanted to play all three formats. That hasn't changed, and never will as far as I'm concerned.

"I always dreamed of playing Test cricket and don't feel I've had a bad game so far – yet unless I am taking four or five wickets in an innings, I am placed under scrutiny and some people start trying to decipher what's going on.

"Comments like 'he's not committed' or 'he's not good enough' appear as soon as you are not 110 per cent. I find it quite annoying how people read into stuff and form their own opinions.

"I saw one article from Michael Vaughan in which he said: 'If Jofra doesn't love Test cricket, England need to find out why.' We've never had a conversation about cricket, so I found it a bit odd. He doesn't know what makes me tick. He doesn't know what's driving me."

And white-ball captain Morgan said he has had no problems with World Cup winner Archer. In fact quite the opposite.

"He's a huge asset," said England's skipper. "He's a guy that bowls in three parts of the game and can be threatening whenever he comes on. He obviously has express pace, can bowl cutters, variations, and has a very good yorker. He's a huge asset in any format."

Asked if he finds Archer easy to captain, Morgan replied: "I do. He's always been engaging. He is a younger member of our squad that has different interests to the majority of our squad, because the majority of our squad is in their late 20s, early 30s.

"He loves enjoying what he does, in travelling, playing Xbox, playing cricket, playing in front of big, big crowds and he is a huge family man.

"The more I have got to know him: one, the better our relationship is but two, the more I have grown to enjoy his company away from the game because I have got to know him more. He's a funny guy."

Ben Stokes returned early from an injury lay-off to captain a hastily assembled side in the three-match series after England's first-choice squad were forced to isolate due to a coronavirus outbreak.

However, with Morgan and Co watching on from the sidelines, England's back-up brigade impressed in a 3-0 series triumph – James Vince scoring his maiden ODI century as he led a record run chase at Edgbaston to secure the third victory.

England's star names have returned for the T20I series, which starts on Friday, though Saqib Mahmood, who was named player of the series, and Lewis Gregory have been rewarded for their performances.

"They've done themselves the world of good, to be honest," Morgan said when asked of the players who stepped up to fulfil the ODI series.

"The one thing you look at when guys come in and out is a marked improvement from the time they [first] get the opportunity to the time the next opportunity arrives. The two guys mentioned [Mahmood and Gregory] and Vince were outstanding.

"I think everybody within the group was extremely proud to watch them play like they did, simply because it's the biggest compliment you can pay to anybody who played in the World Cup group, and the way we've played in the last five years has had such an impact on the game.

"Guys recognise that opportunities are few and far between but, when they do come, the method that the team plays is starting to resonate with people around the country, which is great.

"Over the last six years, with the amount of cricket we play, you don't get to enjoy the cricket as much as you'd like. But sitting back and watching the guys [and] the way the guys played was hugely satisfying. They played an exciting brand of cricket, they really enjoyed themselves, and the result came with that. It was hugely beneficial."

England have triumphed in five of their past six T20I home outings, and finished 2020 with three successive wins, meaning a victory at Trent Bridge will match their longest winning run on home soil in the format.

However, Pakistan won the most recent meeting between the teams last September, a five-run victory in Manchester in a series which finished 1-1.

One player Morgan will be unable to call on is Stokes, who has been rested as he recovers from the finger injury which had been set to keep him out of white-ball action this month.

"He dug us out of a huge hole coming back early from his injury and I think leading the way he did is a huge compliment to the leader he is within our side, how mature he has been as a leader and now a captain," Morgan said of Stokes.

"We gave him every chance to be fit. He hasn't played a lot of cricket and he's had some 'R and R' at home and feels quite fresh.

"The finger hasn't come along as he and the medical team would have liked, so it's important it's as good as it can be for the Test matches against India."

Morgan, who started his career playing for Ireland, had captained the white-ball side for eight years.

In that time, England went to the 2016 World Twenty20 final and then overcame the pain of that narrow defeat by winning a dramatic 2019 Cricket World Cup final.

Morgan will "go down as one of the most influential figures not just in English cricket but in world cricket", according to Brendon McCullum, while Nasser Hussain lauded "our greatest ever white-ball captain" and Michael Atherton hailed his "white-ball dynasty".

But more than merely an outstanding leader - who is expected to be replaced in his role by Jos Buttler – Morgan has also been a brilliant player for England.

Indeed, there is scarcely a white-ball record Morgan does not have his fingerprints on, with his Test career lasting only 16 matches.

Despite playing 23 ODIs for Ireland between 2006 and 2009 before switching allegiances, no player has appeared in more matches for England in the format (225); the same is true of T20Is (115).

Perhaps it is no surprise then that Morgan leads England in runs in both formats – 6,957 in 50 overs and 2,458 in 20. In fact, only eight players of any nationality have scored more T20I runs.

Morgan has played with some of the sport's biggest hitters but can hold his own, too: his 220 ODI sixes (202 for England) include 17 in one match against Afghanistan at the 2019 World Cup, a record that stands to this day.

In the shortest format, he has hit 120 sixes – the most of any England star and the fourth-most overall.

A star in the field, too, Morgan has taken 46 catches in T20Is to lead England all internationals and rank joint-eighth across the board.

But Morgan will perhaps still be best remembered as the man organising the field as England scaled new heights – and he owns his fair share of records in that regard, too.

Morgan was captain for just over half of his ODI appearances (126), comfortably the most such outings of any England player, ahead of Alastair Cook (69).

It is unsurprisingly a similar story in the younger T20I format, with Morgan's 72 games as captain matching India's MS Dhoni for the record.

Morgan's sublime career is unlikely to be forgotten in a hurry, but this array of dominant records ensures that will remain the case.

Hales was dropped last year, a month before England's triumphant Cricket World Cup campaign on home soil, after he was reportedly handed a 21-day ban for what was described as an "off-field incident".

The batsman has not played for his country since but has been in sparkling form with the bat for Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League in Australia.

Morgan stated that Hales' international career may not be over just yet, with the T20 World Cup coming up in Australia this year, but the England captain indicated that it may be a while before the 31-year-old is considered.

Asked if Hales could make an international return, he told Sky Sports: "Yes, absolutely.

"Alex is in fantastic form for Sydney Thunder at the moment but his form has never been a question about him coming back into the squad

"What happened prior to the World Cup last summer was a complete breakdown in trust between Alex and the team.

"The way back in for Alex is to try and rebuild that trust and that takes a considerable amount of time. We are in that time at the moment."

Meanwhile, Tom Banton, Saqib Mahmood and Matt Parkinson could make their ODI debuts in the first game of the three-match series against South Africa on Tuesday.

With Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes rested, Morgan says those who are given a chance against the Proteas must grasp it with both hands. 

"I think we use ODIs as a great opportunity to build strength in depth throughout our squad," said Morgan.

"This series, as a starting point, will see guys come in and make their debuts and give people opportunities to stake a claim for positions that have been cemented for some time now.

"One of our strengths going into the last World Cup was competition for places and guys in those positions becoming not just very good England players but world-class international players."

Morgan has overseen a period of transformative change with England in limited-overs cricket since his appointment as captain in 2014.

The 35-year-old guided England to a dramatic Cricket World Cup win in the 50-over game in 2019, three years after taking his side to the T20 World Cup final.

He followed that up with another semi-final appearance at the T20 World Cup in 2021, where England were defeated by New Zealand.

England have become the dominant force in white-ball internationals, with Australian Matthew Mott taking over as the limited-overs coach ahead of the three-match ODI series against Netherlands.

Morgan will lead a much-changed side to Netherlands, with the Test series against New Zealand ongoing, before facing India and South Africa in three-match series' in both T20I and ODI cricket.

The middle-order batter has somewhat struggled for form and been hampered by injuries, though, and he admitted he will step down if he believes he can no longer deliver.

"I would love to say I am finishing here or there and that's it. I would love to work like that but the way my body is at the moment, I can't work like that," Morgan told Sky Sports.

"If I injured myself tomorrow and it was going to be quite a prolonged injury then I wouldn't be doing the team and myself any favours if I still held a commitment to finish at a certain point.

"If I don't think I am good enough or I don't feel I am contributing to the team, then I will finish.

"That's just the way I am and I hope that rubs off onto the team. Your leader doesn't have to be selfless, they can be whoever he or she wants to be, but I feel this is a better way of doing things.

"Since taking the captaincy [any lack of form] has not been a huge issue for me, simply because I know if I am not good enough to score runs or contribute then I will drop myself.

"I know I will come back into form at some stage. The cycle throughout my career has been a complete rollercoaster, so it's nothing strange."

Luke Wood and David Payne are the new faces in England's squad ahead of June's tour of Netherlands, which starts on Friday.

But there will be familiar names among the ranks, with Moeen Ali, Buttler and Liam Livingstone all part of the 14-man touring party.

Morgan picked out Buttler – who enjoyed a phenomenal Indian Premier League stint with Rajasthan Royals, scoring 863 runs to win the Orange Cap – and Moeen for special praise.

"Jos is one of the best in the world. Right here and now, he probably is the best in the world," he added.

"He enjoys that with where he is in his career, it sits well with him. The big thing you notice about how he plays is that everything he does is revolved around winning the game.

"When you are a little bit younger all you are trying to do is impact the game. The older you get it is about getting your side over the line.

"Rajasthan were heavily dependent on his runs and he took on that responsibility while also being able to take risks.

"Moeen has been incredible. He is unbelievably respected on and off the field and has given so much of himself in our changing room. He is always himself, never tries to be anyone else.

"He has the ability to break the ice but also take things seriously when needed and obviously the role he plays in the community he is from is huge.

"He embraces being that role model and I hugely admire him for that."

Morgan was unable to call upon the likes of Jos Buttler, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood and Sam Curran, who are back in the squad after being in the bio-secure bubble for the Tests against West Indies and Pakistan.

An ODI series win over Ireland and the 1-1 T20 draw against Pakistan gave other players an opportunity to stake a claim with the T20 World Cup in India to come next year.

Jason Roy misses the T20s versus Australia due to a side strain but could return in the 50-over format, while Ben Stokes remains with his family in New Zealand after his father was diagnosed with brain cancer in January.

Morgan has welcomed the return of some of his World Cup winners ahead of a three-match T20 series that starts in Southampton on Friday.

The white-ball captain, who confirmed Buttler will open the batting with Jonny Bairstow despite Tom Banton impressing against Pakistan, said: "For the first time this summer we are seeing the majority of our best team on the park and that's great.

"Bar injury and absent players, which is only a couple, we are at full strength. That is a nice place to be.

"We don't have to pick our best XI every series that we play because we can't put all our eggs in one basket because we need 16 or 17 players in the lead up to a World Cup, all vying for selection in the best 15.

"We found in the lead in to the 50-overs World Cup that was the best position to be in."

There was no place for Root in the T20 squad, but Morgan says the Test skipper can still force his way back in.

"Yes, we have had that conversation with Joe and he certainly does have a future. The conversation was surrounding Joe not getting in the best XI at the moment," said Morgan.

"We didn't want to carry him around and him not play any cricket. Joe wants to play T20 cricket and put his best case forwards particularly when he doesn't have a lot of opportunity to go back to Yorks and play T20 cricket.

"We felt it was a really good opportunity for him to do that."

India cruised to a pair of comfortable victories in their first two T20I meetings with England, securing an unassailable 2-0 series lead before Sunday's final clash at Trent Bridge.

Mott revealed new England captain Jos Buttler, who replaced Eoin Morgan before the series, called on his side to be more aggressive in the outing at Nottingham with nothing to lose.

England duly delivered by posting 215-7 – their highest ever T20I score against India – as they picked up the first win since Morgan's international retirement.

A World Cup in the shortest format is to follow in Australia later in the year after T20I series against South Africa and Pakistan, and Mott implored his team to play with more freedom.

"We learned a lot of lessons in the first two games," Mott said. "India obviously came out with a really attacking mindset and put us under pressure a lot. We expected that, but the ferocity of it took us by surprise a little bit.

"After the second loss and the series loss, I thought he [Buttler] spoke exceptionally well in the group about these being the times where you learn about character.

"It's easy when you're dominating teams but we're going to learn more about ourselves playing great teams like India and South Africa leading into a World Cup – we're going to learn more about what we need in Australia when we're put under pressure.

"We talked about just being a bit braver. If anything, we could have been accused of being a bit timid with the bat. [On Sunday] we just went out there and thought, 'it's a great wicket, let's put a score out there and hang on.'

"We don't like losing but I think there is plenty that we've taken out of this series already and it sets us up well for the summer."

Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow, two Test stars, are expected to return to the limited-overs side and will likely slot in at number three and four respectively.

But Dawid Malan scored an important 77 off 39 balls in the third match against India, staking his claim for the number three position, while Reece Topley also impressed with the ball as he took 3-22.

Fast bowlers Mark Wood and Jofra Archer may miss the World Cup due to injuries, and Mott admitted competition for places is wide open.

"It was an unbelievable experience for some of those bowlers," he said. "Topley was magnificent and [Richard] Gleeson has been a real find for us.

"All the intel that I've had is that it's definitely been an area that we're looking to improve, so to be under that sort of pressure and hold our nerve gives us a lot of confidence.

"I don't think [the World Cup squad] is all locked in yet. This far out, you've got so many things that could happen – whether it's injuries or form, or whatever.

"We've got a fair idea of what we think the right make-up is, but you want players to come in and perform and really warrant that spot.

"It's still open for a lot of players and that's why we are having looks at different combinations and trying to learn."

Mott took charge of the one-day set-up in 2022, and led England to glory at that year's T20 World Cup.

However, England failed to retain their crown earlier this year, losing to eventual champions India in the semi-finals.

That came after England had faltered in the 50-over World Cup last year, in which they finished seventh in the group stage.

And Mott, who also oversaw series wins over Australia, New Zealand and Pakistan, has now stepped down from his role.

Mott said: "I am immensely proud to have coached the England men's team; it has been an honour.

"We have put everything into trying to achieve success over the past two years, and I am incredibly proud of the character and passion that the team has displayed during that period, including a magnificent T20 World Cup victory in 2022.

"I would like to thank the players, management, and everyone at the ECB for their commitment, support, and hard work during my time. I leave with many great friendships and incredible memories.

"Finally, I would like to thank the England fans, who have always backed us and given us fantastic support wherever we have travelled around the world."

Former England international Marcus Trescothick will take over as interim head coach, and will lead the team for September's series against Australia, which includes three T20Is and five ODIs.

Rob Key, England's managing director, confirmed Jos Buttler will stay on as captain.

He said: "On behalf of everyone connected to England cricket and me personally, I would like to thank Mathew for all he has done for the team since his appointment.

"He can be proud of his achievements as he leaves his post as one of only three coaches who have won a men's World Cup with England. 

"After three World Cup cycles in a short space of time, I now feel the team needs a new direction to prepare for the challenges ahead. This decision was not made lightly, but I believe it is the right time for the team's future success.

"With our focus shifting towards the Champions Trophy early next year and the next cycle of white-ball competition, it is crucial that we ensure the team is focused and prepared.

"Marcus Trescothick is well respected in the dressing room and will take charge of team affairs alongside white-ball captain Jos Buttler. Marcus and Jos have a good rapport, and I think their partnership will help us maintain continuity and stability."

The first match is slated for Thursday in Lucknow, before the second game in Ranchi on October 9. The teams will then face off a final time in Delhi two days later.

Shikhar Dhawan has been named India's captain, while Shreyas Iyer will be vice-captain for the series.

Dhawan is expected to open the batting with Shubman Gill, though Ruturaj Gaikwad is also reportedly in contention for that role.

Patidar will form part of the pace attack, alongside Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj and Avesh Khan.

It is a weaker India squad as none of the members of the T20I set-up have been named in the ODI pool, with those players due to travel to Australia on October 6 ahead of the T20 World Cup.
 

India squad: Shikhar Dhawan (c), Shreyas Iyer, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubhman Gill, Rajat Patidar, Rahul Tripathi, Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson, Shahbaz Ahmed, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Mukesh Kumar, Avesh Khan, Mohammed Siraj, Deepak Chahar.

Langer resigned this month after only being offered a six-month contract extension on the back of a 4-0 Ashes thrashing of England.

The former Australia opener had also masterminded a T20 World Cup triumph in the United Arab Emirates last year.

Eyebrows were raised over Langer's dramatic exit, but Australia Test captain Cummins said the feeling in the dressing room was it was the right time for a new coach to be appointed.

New chair Henderson does not want a repeat of the way the situation was played out so publicly. 

He told reporters: "It got messy in terms of things playing out in the media. But the board's role was to receive recommendations from management. We made our decision based on that.

"With any significant decision like that boards should reflect on that process that was involved.

"It is unfortunate that a bit of that played out in the media, and we will reflect on whether that should have been accelerated through the summer."

Henderson will look to bring stability after taking over from interim leader Richard Freudenstein, who stepped in following Earl Eddings' resignation.

The new chair has vowed to be transparent in a new era for Cricket Australia.

"My communication style will be to be open, transparent, hopefully consistent," he said on Thursday. 

"I work in health care. We've negotiated a pandemic in the last two years. That's required a fair amount of resilience. So within the bounds of the confidentiality of boards, I hope that there's a really open and transparent way forward."

Buttler has been appointed England's white-ball skipper following the retirement of long-term leader Eoin Morgan.

The superstar wicketkeeper-batsman was an obvious choice, having been a key performer under Morgan for several years.

Buttler's role in the Test set-up is less established, and the red-ball side are enjoying their own new era under the captain-coach combination of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum.

Big-hitting Buttler prides himself on being "positive and aggressive", as he told BBC Test Match Special on Friday. Those are qualities that would clearly work in Stokes' side, whose tactics Buttler described as "very similar" to the limited-overs approach of "taking the shackles off".

Debate around a Test return was perhaps inevitable then, but Kumar Sangakkara, Buttler's IPL coach with Rajasthan Royals, suggested he should be a candidate to bat at the top of the order, where England have had some difficulties.

Buttler was amused and bemused by the idea, saying with a smile: "I thought someone had written the wrong story, to be honest. I don't think there is much merit in that.

"Was it from Kumar? Maybe he was just plugging some Rajasthan Royals openers or something like that.

"It's been fantastic to watch the Test team over the last few weeks – I've thoroughly enjoyed tuning in as a fan; it's been incredible to watch.

"You're gripped to your seat to see what they're doing, and it's been brilliant. I've loved watching them, and I hope it continues."

Asked if he had a red ball in his bag, Buttler replied: "Not at the minute, no."

But while the white-ball skipper is happy to maintain a watching brief in Test cricket, he is keen to have the red-ball captain in his teams.

Stokes was named in England's ODI squad for the series against India, although he will not be involved in the Twenty20 international matches that follow a Test that started on Friday.

"I'm really keen for Ben to be involved in T20 cricket," Buttler said. "As with everyone, we're going to have to be careful with how we manage people's workloads.

"Ben's going to be incredibly busy. The first T20 starts after this game [the Test against India] is due to end. It's important we look after players.

"But in any format of the game, Ben is someone you want in your team."

Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Titans will make their IPL debuts when they lock horns at the Wankhede Stadium.

The iconic stadium in Mumbai will also stage the opening match, which will see defending champions Chennai Super Kings do battle with Kolkata Knight Riders in a repeat of last year's final.

CSK won the title for a fourth time last October, lifting the trophy in Dubai after the tournament had to be completed in the United Arab Emirates and Oman due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Dhoni stepped down as skipper just two days before the opening game and Ravindra Jadeja has been charged with the task of replacing him.

Crowds will be allowed back in the four stadiums in Mumbai and Pune, with 70 league matches and four play-off showdowns to come over a 65-day period.

NEW FORMAT A VIRTUAL REALITY 

There will be two virtual groups based on the number of IPL titles won, followed by how many finals teams have contested.

Each side will take on their group rivals twice and also face two matches against one team from the other group. They will come up against the other teams from a different group just once.

KKR will take on five-time champions Mumbai Indians twice, as they are both in Group A, while Sunrisers Hyderabad are in Group B along with CSK.

SUPER GIANTS AND TITANS READY FOR THE BIG TIME

Lucknow and Gujarat will start life in the IPL with high hopes of making a big impact.

KL Rahul will lead the Super Giants side that has Andy Flower as coach. Big things will be expected of Quinton de Kock, Jason Holder and Marcus Stoinis but Mark Wood has been ruled out, so Andrew Tye was brought in as a replacement.

Hardik Pandya was appointed as Titans captain and Ashish Nehra coach. Star spinner Rashid Khan and Mohammed Shami were standout signings for Gujarat. Aaron Finch must bring fireworks at the top of the order after he was a late replacement for Jason Roy.

JADEJA WITH 'BIG BOOTS TO FILL'

Dhoni had led CSK since the inaugural IPL in 2008, so it was the end of an era when he stepped down on Thursday.

The 40-year-old will continue to play for the Super Kings and it is India all-rounder Jadeja who will step up to skipper the defending champions.

Jadeja said: "I'm feeling good. At the same time, I also need to fill in big boots, [Dhoni] has already set the big legacy so I need to carry [that] forward. I don't need to worry too much because he is here so whenever I have a question to ask, I'll definitely go to him.

"He'll be my go-to person. He was and still he is today, so I'm not worried too much."

FIT FOR THE KINGS?

Punjab Kings went into the auction with the biggest purse and their new recruits will be expected to deliver.

Powerful all-rounder Liam Livingstone was picked up for a whopping Rs 11.5 crore and his England team-mate Jonny Bairstow was another acquisition.

New skipper Mayank Agarwal will look to South Africa paceman Kagiso Rabada to fire a new dawn for the franchise.

England hammered India by 10 wickets at the semi-final stage before beating Pakistan at the MCG on Sunday to lift the trophy for a second time.

The Black Caps missed out once again when they lost to Pakistan in the semi-final, having been runners-up to Australia in Dubai last year.

India will be without captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul for three matches against New Zealand in the shortest format, as the experienced trio have been given a post-World Cup rest.

Hardik Pandya will skipper the tourists, with VVS Laxman filling in as head coach as Rahul Dravid is also absent.

Laxman wants to see the India players express themselves in a series that gets under way at Westpac Stadium

He said: "It is important to be flexible. I think in T20 cricket, you are required to express yourself and that is when you will be successful. I think T20 cricket has shown us over the years that the more amount of multi-dimensional players you have, the better for the team.

"You have bowlers who can bat, and batters who can bowl, and that is the way forward. That has already been proven in T20 cricket, the more number of bowlers who can bat will add depth to the team and it allows a lot of freedom for the batters to express themselves.

"That is the need for the format and I am sure more and more teams will try to get that into their selection process and identify players who are multi-dimensional players."

New Zealand have won their past four multi-game bilateral T20I series and will attempt to extend that to five for the first time, with India being the last team to beat them in a series with a 3-0 success a year ago.

No Boult to strike for Black Caps

Trent Boult was not included in the New Zealand squad after a request to be released from his central contract was accepted in August.

They still possess a strong attack in his absence, with Tim Southee and Lockie Ferguson set to be unleashed and Adam Milne back in the fold along with Blair Tickner

Experienced opener Martin Guptill was overlooked once again, with Finn Allen keeping his spot at the top of the order.

India need Pant back to his explosive best

Rishabh Pant only played twice in the World Cup, making three against Zimbabwe before falling for only nine in the crushing semi-final loss at the hands of England.

Dinesh Karthik had been preferred to Pant, but the experienced wicketkeeper-batter is not in the squad to face New Zealand.

Pant is only 30 runs short of becoming 11th player to score 1,000 runs for India in men’s T20Is and India will need him to explode into life.

Black Caps skipper Williamson sits out the first of three T20s following the birth of his first child, but will be available for the remainder of the series.

Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Kyle Jamieson and Daryl Mitchell also miss the opener at Eden Park, so soon after New Zealand sealed a crushing Test series whitewash of West Indies this week.

Mitchell Santner captains New Zealand for the first match of the series, which Lockie Ferguson misses with a partial stress fracture in his lumbar spine, in Auckland.

A fractured thumb keeps Babar out of the series, so Shadab Khan - who has been struggling with a groin injury - steps up to lead his country.

Seamer Jacob Duffy is set to make his New Zealand debut and will be looking to give another demonstration of the Black Caps' strength in depth ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup next year.

"It's amazing how many people reach out when you sort of get the call-up," Southlander Duffy, Otago's white-ball skipper, said. "No, it's pretty exciting, especially for a small community like that.

"I've really enjoyed growing up there, playing all my cricket there, and a little bit of Hawke Cup cricket and stuff. People down there are really fizzed. I remember they were fizzed up when I first played for Otago, so this is another step-up and it's really cool."

MORE FIREWORKS FROM PHILLIPS AND CONWAY?

Glenn Phillips and Devon Conway unsurprisingly retain their place in the New Zealand squad after their heroics in a T20 series-clinching drubbing of the Windies.

Phillips smashed a 46-ball century - the quickest by a New Zealander in T20Is - and Conway blasted 65 not out in 72-run hammering in Mount Maunganui at the end of last month.

Their brutal 183-run stand was a world record for the third wicket in the shortest format at international level.

Phillips also took two catches and affected a run out after making 108 off just 51 balls - hitting eight sixes and 10 boundaries in a devastating knock.

The in-form 24-year-old has since made 136 opening for New Zealand A in a four-day match against their Windies counterparts, so Pakistan's bowlers will not be queueing up to bowl at him

PAKISTAN MUST SHOW THEY CAN COPE WITHOUT BABAR 

The absence of Babar is a massive blow for Pakistan, who sealed a T20I whitewash of Zimbabwe last month.

Babar, second in the T20I batting rankings behind England's Dawid Malan, has delivered time again for his country but the tourists will have to show they can cope without him against high-class opposition.

Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf knows he will have to offer more than just sheer pace to do damage against the Black Caps.

"I have a clear mindset with my pace and 140+ [kph] is my average speed. But with Waqar Younis [Pakistan bowling coach], I think he is all in for pace, [and he] keeps on empathising [with me] while making me work on my line and length.

"There are so many things I am learning from him, like bowling yorkers using the crease, and he was best at it. I understand these days [with] the kind of cricket being played, I can't be predictable with my pace. You obviously have to keep on evolving with the other stocks. Bowling with pace is okay, but bowling slower ones with different lines are the points of discussion with Waqar. I am learning in practice and applying in games."

KEY OPTA FACTS

- Pakistan have won their last two bilateral T20I series against New Zealand. they are yet to win more consecutive series against the Black Caps in this format
- New Zealand had lost four consecutive T20I matches at Eden Park before beating West Indies in November.
- Pakistan are winless in their last three bilateral series away from home, losing two and drawing one. They had won seven in a row prior to that.
- Martin Guptill has scored 463 runs in T20Is between New Zealand and Pakistan, the most by any player, including four half-centuries – his joint-most against any side in the format (England being the other).
- Mohammad Hafeez has scored 412 runs against New Zealand in T20I cricket, the most by a Pakistan player against any country.

Mitchell has been ruled out of the T20 Tri-Series encounters with Pakistan and Bangladesh, having taken a blow on his right hand while batting in the nets.

The 31-year-old has broken his fifth metacarpal and Blacks Caps physio Theo Kapakoulakis confirmed he wear a cast for at least two weeks.

New Zealand will face hosts and holders Australia at the SCG in their first game of the World Cup in a repeat of last year's final on October 22.

Black Caps head coach Gary Stead will not rush into deciding whether Mitchell will fly out with the squad on October 15.

"It's a real shame for Daryl to suffer this injury on the eve of an exciting period of cricket for the side," Stead said.

"Daryl's become a really important player to our T20 unit and we're certainly going to miss his all-round skills and versatility in the Tri-Series.

"With our first game of the World Cup in just over two weeks we need to take some to consider Daryl's recovery timeline and his potential involvement in the tournament."