Ben Stokes has maintained that he and Alex Hales share the objective "to win the World Cup" after the Nottinghamshire batter was recalled to the England squad ahead of the T20 World Cup.

Hales has not played for England in three years since being taken out of the squad for the ODI World Cup in 2019 for failing a recreational drug test, and was not named in the initial squad for the upcoming T20 edition.

But a freak injury to Jonny Bairstow while playing golf last week has led to Hales being recalled for the tournament, as well as the squad for the T20 tour of Pakistan, which starts later this month.

Stokes' relationship with Hales is said to have declined after both were involved in a brawl outside a Bristol nightclub in 2017

But England Test captain Stokes acknowledged the quality Hales brings to the team.

"Alex is definitely one of the best T20 players in the world and unfortunately with what happened with Jonny we had to call another player up," Stokes told reporters.

"Alex is definitely one of the guys that bowlers don’t want to be bowling at in the T20 format."

However, Stokes was quiet when asked about their current relationship, adding: "My goal, Alex’s goal and everyone else’s goal who is part of that squad is to win the World Cup."

Ben Stokes believes England have added a rare talent to their side for the Test series decider with South Africa, with Harry Brook set to come into the team.

Brook is poised to make his Test debut at The Oval as England aim to seal their second series win under Stokes' captaincy, having claimed a 3-0 whitewash of New Zealand earlier in the year.

The right-hander will replace Yorkshire team-mate Jonny Bairstow, who was ruled out because of a freak injury suffered on the golf course that will also keep him out of the T20 World Cup.

Brook has thrived in all formats of the game for his county and has seven centuries and 17 half-centuries to his name in first-class cricket.

He also scored 140 in a match against the touring South African party for the England Lions last month, and Stokes was effusive in his praise of Brook ahead of his bow in the longest format.

"There's just things that stand out about certain players, like the time they have at the crease, the shots they play," Stokes said.

"There's just something that stands out that puts them above other people you see playing. He's shown this summer when he's been playing for Yorkshire and the Superchargers [in the Hundred] the skill he has.

"The way he operates, the way he wants to go out and dominate is very rare. He's a huge talent and he has to go out there and show everybody what he can do."

South Africa captain Dean Elgar, however, gives little weight to Brook's innings in the tour match, making it clear that the Test arena and the decider of a series that has seen each side win a match by an innings represents an entirely different proposition.

"You can bat like that in a four-day game or a County Championship game but this is Test cricket," Elgar said. "There are a lot of things that put a stop to you as a player, whether it’s the crowd, the cameras, whatever the case is.

"Brooky, I've played quite a few games against him, being around the county circuit. He's a good player, no doubt.

"He got a few runs against us but, again, this is Test cricket and we've got our fast bowlers now who didn't bowl against him in Kent, so I'm not reading too much into that. This is Test cricket, it will humble you as a player and a person. Hopefully he doesn't do what he did against us in Canterbury.

"I can't blow too much smoke for the opposition, I'm not there to do that. But I just know the environment and this is the big league now."

England seeking four in a row

The omens for a South Africa away win are not good.

England have a chance to register their fourth consecutive multigame bilateral men's Test series win against South Africa, it will be the third time in the history of this fixture that the hosts have won as many consecutive multigame bilateral men's Test series against the Proteas; South Africa last won such a series in July 2012.

Additionally, South Africa have just one win from their 15 matches against England at The Oval.

Leach eyes century

Jack Leach could well be England's match-winner if they are bowling last, and he will have extra motivation to run through the South Africa line-up.

The spinner needs five more for 100 wickets in men's Tests for England. He would become the 49th player to achieve this feat for his country; Leach has taken five or more wickets in a match nine times in his Test career.

Sarina Wiegman expressed her pride and relief after England qualified for the 2023 Women's World Cup with a 2-0 win over Austria.

Alessia Russo, replacing the retired Ellen White in the starting line-up, opened the scoring and Nikita Parris doubled the European champions' lead at Wiener Neustadt Stadium on Saturday.

Victory for the Lionesses sealed their place in the showpiece in the tournament in Australia and New Zealand next year with one game to spare - against Luxembourg on Tuesday.

England head coach Wiegman reflected on a job well done just over a month after her side won a first major trophy by being Germany at Wembley.

She said: "I'm happy that we qualified, that we had a win, conceded no goals, scored two, which is one more than we did in the other two games (England beat Austria 1-0 in their two previous encounters). So that's nice.

"It was again a hard game, but coming out of the Euros, not having that much rest, I'm very proud of the team that we came out like this and we just won the game. It looks so easy but I think it was pretty hard."

The Dutchwoman added: "It is absolutely a relief. We also know that if we weren't successful today, possibly we would qualify on Tuesday. But you don't want that. You want to win every game, play well every game.

"You want to show how good you can play, and I think lots of parts in the game we did that today, and we had some parts where we weren't tight enough and made some mistakes, and they created some chances.

"But still 2-0 is 2-0, we're qualified and we had a great qualification [campaign]."

England will be without Jonny Bairstow for the Twenty20 World Cup after the batsman suffered a freak injury while playing golf.

Bairstow has been in stunning form for England in 2022 and was named in their T20 World Cup squad on Friday.

Yet he will now miss the series-deciding Test against South Africa and the tournament in Australia after sustaining what the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) described as a "lower limb injury".

England's statement confirmed Bairstow had suffered the injury while playing golf in Leeds on Friday, in what they labelled "a freak accident".

Bairstow will see a specialist next week but was immediately ruled out of action for the foreseeable future. 

Ben Duckett has been called up in his place for the Test match against South Africa, while England will name a replacement in their World Cup squad in due course.

Bairstow has been England's standout performer this year, scoring 1,344 runs across all formats, hitting five Test centuries in the process.

England have named an unchanged squad for next week's third Test against South Africa at The Oval.

After losing the first Test, England hit back in style in the second to win by an innings and 85 runs at Old Trafford and level the series.

Opener Zak Crawley's place had been under threat, but an important 38 in Manchester proved enough to keep him in contention for the decider.

Ollie Robinson also retains his place after a successful return to the England squad, having not previously played for his country since the Ashes in January.

England Test squad to play South Africa (third Test): 

Ben Stokes (Durham, captain), James Anderson (Lancashire), Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Harry Brook (Yorkshire), Zak Crawley (Kent), Ben Foakes (Surrey), Jack Leach (Somerset), Alex Lees (Durham), Craig Overton (Somerset), Matthew Potts (Durham), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Ollie Robinson (Sussex), Joe Root (Yorkshire).

Ben Stokes provided the spark yet again as his England side crushed South Africa inside three days at Old Trafford to level the Test series.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Robinson recall a roaring success

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

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

Ben Stokes and Ben Foakes produced with the bat as England built a comprehensive 241-run lead over South Africa on day two of the second Test at Old Trafford.

The duo each brought up centuries as England recovered from the early loss of Jonny Bairstow in terrific fashion, reaching 415-9 before Stokes declared with the hosts having built a mammoth first-innings advantage of 264.

While England's bowlers failed to cap a tremendous day in Manchester with a late wicket, South Africa's opening duo were limited to 23 runs, leaving them with a mountain to climb on day three.

After seeing Bairstow bat England out of trouble on Thursday, South Africa began day two looking for quick wickets, and Anrich Nortje (3-82) got them off to a fine start.

Having stopped Bairstow one run short of his half-century, he accounted for Zak Crawley (38) with a superb delivery just two overs later as the hosts began nervously after resuming on 111-3.

But the Proteas failed to make that momentum count as England steadied themselves either side of lunch, with Stokes (103) and Foakes (113 not out) striking up a fearsome sixth-wicket partnership of 173 to drive Brendon McCullum's men into a commanding lead.

Stokes brought up his 12th Test hundred – and first as captain – shortly before being caught by Dean Elgar off Kagiso Rabada's delivery, but Foakes was unaffected as he went on to rack up just his second tonne in the format.

Foakes survived as Stuart Broad (21), Ollie Robinson (17) and Jack Leach (11) were dismissed before Stokes' declaration, with the home side then seeing out the day without incident after taking up the ball.  

Sarel Erwee (12 not out) and Elgar (11 not out) managed just two boundaries between them in a quiet final nine overs, leaving England as favourites to avoid suffering their first back-to-back home Test defeats since August 2008.

England give South Africa the Bens

Stokes' superb knock eased the pressure on England following a less-than-ideal start on Friday and brought him his fourth Test hundred against South Africa, more than he has managed against any other side (three each versus West Indies and Australia, one apiece against India and New Zealand).

The skipper was upstaged, however, as Foakes cruised to his highest score in the format, recording a first home Test century despite failing to hit a single six.

Jonny Bairstow batted England out of trouble after James Anderson and Stuart Broad delivered with the ball as the hosts made a strong start to the second Test against South Africa.

The Proteas posted 151 all out at Old Trafford, with Anderson and Broad taking three wickets each, as South Africa's innings victory at Lord's last time out was quickly forgotten.

England moved to 111-3 at the close in reply after an unbroken stand of 68 for the fourth wicket between Bairstow and Zak Crawley.

Bairstow's 38 not out from 45 balls was not quite a full-blown return to 'Bazball', but his positivity was refreshing as Crawley lived up to his name at the other end, trundling to 17 important runs from 77 deliveries.

At the start of the day, Anderson made a breakthrough in the fifth over after finding early movement off the pitch, having Sarel Erwee caught behind off an inside edge.

Broad soon sent South Africa captain Dean Elgar on his way as Bairstow took a sharp low catch, before the same bowler accounted for Keegan Petersen, snaffled by Joe Root at first slip.

Captain Ben Stokes snagged a fortunate fourth wicket when Aiden Markram mistimed a pull and a top edge was pouched by Ben Foakes, and the skipper had Rassie van der Dussen trapped lbw before lunch as South Africa went in on 77-5, in big trouble.

Anderson pinned Simon Harmer in front, and it was two wickets in two balls as the Lancashire paceman, on his home ground, struck in the same way to remove Keshav Maharaj.

When Broad teased an edge out of Kyle Verreynne, South Africa were 108-8, and Ollie Robinson and Jack Leach picked up a wicket apiece to end lower-order resistance, with Kagiso Rabada the last man out for a team-best 36. Petersen and Verreynne were the only other South African batters to reach 20, both out for 21.

England lost Alex Lees (4), Ollie Pope (23) and Joe Root (9) as Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje and Rabada made early inroads, reducing the hosts to 43-3; however, Bairstow and Crawley saw them through to the close without any further setback, building a platform for day two.

Happy hunting ground

Heading into this match, England had lost only one of their nine Tests against South Africa at Old Trafford (W4, D4), a three-wicket loss in July 1955. They defeated the Proteas by 177 runs in their most recent such meeting (August 2017).

Pep Guardiola heaped praise on England's "incredible" Lionesses as he suggested their Euro 2022 triumph has put more pressure on Gareth Southgate's team ahead of the World Cup in Qatar.

Sarina Wiegman's side ended 56 years of major tournament hurt for England with a 2-1 extra-time victory over Germany in last month's Wembley final, going one better than the Three Lions did in their Euro 2020 penalty shoot-out defeat to Italy on the same ground.

The Lionesses sparkled throughout the tournament on home soil, scoring a remarkable 22 goals in six matches on their way to the title.

According to Manchester City boss Guardiola, their achievements should serve not only as an inspiration to women across the country, but also as a marker for their male counterparts.

"England have to be so proud, first of all, for these incredible women," he told BBC Sport.

"I had the feeling every season, women's football, the sport of women, is rising and getting better.

"It's so nice for our daughters and for the next generations, what they have done. And thanks to all of you, because you pay more attention to what they do, and that's why they get a final in their home country, at Wembley.

"[It was] a special moment, and I think it will put pressure on the men for the World Cup, and that is good, this is good."

Guardiola's praise comes in the same week as the retirements of two Lionesses legends, with the team's record goalscorer Ellen White and second-most-capped player Jill Scott both hanging up their boots as European champions.

Southgate's side will begin their World Cup campaign against Iran on November 21 before rounding off Group B by facing the United States and Wales. 

England Test captain Ben Stokes has spoken of his pride over his journey as he confessed he had "gone through a lot of stuff".

Stokes took a break from cricket for five months in 2021 to prioritise his mental health after suffering panic attacks, recently revealing that he feared he may never play cricket again.

Since his return he has taken over the England Test captaincy from Joe Root and won his first four matches before last week's defeat to visiting South Africa.

The 31-year-old is the focus of a new Amazon Prime documentary that goes into detail on Stokes' battle with mental health.

On Wednesday he reflected on his journey, telling reporters: "Looking back on everything I went through and seeing myself in a different way is something I can look back on now and almost go 'I've gone through a lot of stuff' but managed to work my way through it.

"To be here today as England Test captain is something hopefully a lot of people can take a lot of promise from and realise that even when you do feel like you are down and dark you can bounce back and achieve things you want to.

"When the project had finished and I watched it back for the first time, the first impression I got was that maybe it would help people.

"I went into quite a lot with it because the experiences I went through was something that a lot of people do go through but sometimes don't feel like they can talk about. 

"But me being me, and the platform I've got to go into what I went through from a non-selfish point of view, was something I wanted to do.

"And I'm actually very proud of the stuff I've gone into and I've already received a lot of messages from people saying thanks for doing what you did."

England manager Gareth Southgate is not jumping to early conclusions regarding the form of his England players in the opening weeks of the season.

The start of the Premier League campaign has thrown up numerous surprises, with Manchester United losing back-to-back matches against Brentford and Brighton and Hove Albion, while Liverpool remain without a win after three matches.

In Monday's clash between the two giants, which United won 2-1, Erik ten Hag dropped England regulars Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw from his starting XI, with both now facing a fight to get back into the team.

Jack Grealish, Kalvin Phillips and John Stones have managed just two Premier League starts between them over the first three weeks of the season at Manchester City, but Southgate insists it is too early to become concerned.

"At this time of year, the Premier League table doesn't settle down for a few weeks and you've still got the transfer window open, which causes so much chaos in every club," he told Sky Sports.

"Things have to settle but we're perhaps fortunate as the international window normally falls in about a week, but we've been given more time. 

"It's nice to have a few more weeks to see how things map out and see where players are physically and fitness-wise.

"There have been some unexpected results, but I think at this time of year that can happen. Things will take on a more familiar look once we get into two games a week across multiple competitions."

The mid-season date for the World Cup adds a unique flavour to this year's tournament, with the England squad convening just one week before the campaign in Qatar kicks-off, leaving no time for pre-tournament friendlies.

England face decisive tests against Germany and Italy in the Nations League next month, with relegation a real threat following a winless start to a campaign that has included a 4-0 home defeat to Hungary.

With just two matches to play and plenty at stake, introducing new players to Southgate's squad is by no means an easy task.

But he hinted he could look at club form more closely ahead of the World Cup.

"Everyone always says that you need to be clear on your best team, but you've always got to leave space and opportunity for people who are playing well," said Southgate.

"You know you're going to lose players from the squad in the next few months. It's already happened with some of the countries, so whatever the idea is in your head of who your best players are – which we have – that's going to fluctuate and you've got to adapt.

"Possibly in this World Cup more than any other, that ability to adapt and to operate quickly to make the right decisions is more important than ever."

England begin their World Cup campaign against Iran on November 21, before also tackling the United States and Wales in Group B.

Ben Stokes has praised Matthew Potts for his maturity after he was dropped for England's second Test against South Africa at Old Trafford.

Potts struggled for rhythm during a heavy opening defeat at Lord's, the first Test loss of the Brendon McCullum era and since Stokes took the captaincy permanently from Joe Root.

That has seen the bowler pay the price, with Ollie Robinson called up in his place, but Stokes nevertheless believes Potts remains a key member of the wider England cohort.

"It's very tough for Matty to miss out, but what he's done in the five games that he's played is he's taken himself from a county cricketer with a lot of promise and really announced himself on the big stage," Stokes told reporters.

"We've got to give him a lot of credit, to handle the decision so professionally at such a young age is a real indication of where we're at at the moment as a team.

"The selection was based around what we thought was the best bowling attack to suit this particular ground and he completely understood that."

Robinson has not played for England since the end of the Ashes tour in January, with a combination of fitness issues keeping him out of the fold.

But an impressive showing for the England Lions earlier this month has seen him recalled, with Stokes hopeful the paceman will complicate matters for South Africa's batters.

"When you look at what Ollie possesses as a bowler, one of his real key assets is how much extra bounce he gets compared to other bowlers in our squad," Stokes said.

"We think here at Old Trafford, with it being a slightly quicker wicket than other grounds we play at, it obviously offers a lot more bounce. We obviously pick the team we think is going to enable us to win the Test."

Having brushed aside New Zealand as part of the 'Bazball' approach, defeat against South Africa brought England back down with a bumpy landing.

"What we have learned from ourselves is that you can't always go out there and perform how you want to perform," Stokes explained.

"The address after the game was, 'look, lads, you have obviously not performed anywhere near the capabilities we want to and we know we can, but it's not something that we are going to take backward steps from'.

"South Africa were better than us in that Test, that's fine, that's sport. Sport is set up for someone to be a winner and someone to be a loser. We are focussing on this game and the next and want to win the series 2-1."

Fortress Old Trafford needed for England

The hosts will be looking to avoid back-to-back defeats in men's Tests at home for the first time since August 2008, following their innings and 12-run defeat to the Proteas.

England will take heart from their strong Old Trafford record against the tourists, having lost only one of their nine men's Tests against them at Old Trafford, way back in July 1955.

Elgar eyes milestone

South Africa captain Dean Elgar needs just 89 runs to become the eighth player to hit the 5,000 mark in men's Test cricket for South Africa.

He might just get them too, with his Test batting strike rate in England (51.8) his second-best in any country (60.7 in Pakistan).

Ollie Robinson has been recalled to the England side for the second Test against South Africa at the expense of Matthew Potts.

Robinson has not played for his country since the Ashes Test in Hobart in January, but he will back in the team at Old Trafford on Thursday.

The seamer has been sidelined by a back injury, while he also had to contend with a dental problem and COVID-19.

Robinson sent a message to the selectors by taking five wickets in the England Lions' hammering of South Africa in a tour match at Canterbury this month and he has got the nod over Potts in Manchester.

That is the only change to the team that was thrashed by an innings and 12 runs in the first Test at Lord's last week.

Struggling opening batter Zak Crawley will get another chance at the top of the order against a hostile Proteas attack.

England team: 

Zak Crawley , Alex Lees, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (captain), Ben Foakes, Stuart Broad, Jack Leach,  Ollie Robinson, James Anderson.

Joe Root praised Ben Stokes for showing "great courage" by opening up on the mental health battle which led him to take a break from cricket last year.

Stokes stepped away from the sport for five months in July 2021 after suffering panic attacks, having previously taken compassionate leave to deal with the death of his father and struggled after rushing his recovery from a broken finger.

Ahead of the airing of a new documentary detailing his experiences in that difficult period, Stokes revealed on Tuesday that he feared he would never return to cricket during his break.

Stokes' predecessor as England Test captain has now moved to declare his support for the 31-year-old, saying his willingness to speak out on the subject represents a perfect demonstration of leadership.

"I think it's exactly what you've come to see from Ben as a leader, how honest he is," Root said.

"I think it shows great courage, great bravery, to go and speak openly about that sort of stuff and some of the struggles that he's personally been through.

"We were all there with him, going through it. It's not easy to see a close friend and team-mate like that.

"But look at him now, it's great to have him leading this team and making Test cricket so enjoyable to play and to watch.

"I think, like with any of your mates, you want to get around and do what you can to help. That goes within the dressing room environment away from the game as well."

England will begin their first red-ball tour of Pakistan since 2005 on December 1 in Rawalpindi, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has confirmed.

Earlier this month, it was announced that England would travel to Pakistan for the first time in 17 years for a seven-match T20 series in September, and the dates have now been confirmed for the Test team's visit three months later.

Security concerns have prevented England from touring Pakistan since 2005, when Michael Vaughan's Ashes-winning side succumbed to a 3-2 series defeat.

But Brendon McCullum's red-ball side will now face Pakistan in a three-match series before the end of the year, travelling to Multan and Karachi after playing their first ever Test match in Rawalpindi.

The contests will follow on from a camp in Abu Dhabi, which will begin on November 18 and will take in a three-day warm-up match against the Lions at the Zayed Cricket Complex.

Clare Connor, the ECB's interim chief executive officer, said: "The return of our men's Test team to Pakistan for the first time since 2005 will be an historic occasion. 

"The opportunity to play Test cricket in front of passionate cricket-lovers in Pakistan after such a long time is something to be cherished. 

"We have been working closely with the PCB over recent months and I am grateful to them for everything they have done, and continue to do, to make our Test and T20 tours a mouth-watering prospect for all involved."

The PCB's director of international cricket Zakir Kahn added: "We are pleased that the Pakistan and England Test rivalry, which has historically produced close and tight matches, will return to our backyards in December. 

"Both the sides have evolved since they last played in Pakistan in 2005 and have recently been playing entertaining and exciting cricket. 

"I remain confident this series will live up to the expectations of the global cricket fans who want to watch and enjoy competitive and thrilling matches."

Before England can switch their focus to the trip to Pakistan, they must find a way to overturn a 1-0 deficit in their ongoing three-match series against South Africa, having been thrashed within three days at Lord's last week.