Harry Kane was delighted for Cole Palmer after the Chelsea forward marked his full England debut with a first goal for the Three Lions.

Palmer, who was making his first international start at senior level, opened the scoring from the penalty spot as Gareth Southgate's side overcame Bosnia-Herzegovina 3-0 at St James' Park.

Kane was also on target later on, coming off the bench to round off a commanding win with the third goal in England's penultimate warm-up game ahead of Euro 2024.

Palmer, who made his senior debut against Malta in November, continues to thrive following a superb 2023-24 with Chelsea, with his 33 goal involvements (22 goals, 11 assists) in the Premier League earning him the Young Player of the Season award.

Saluting the former Manchester City forward, Kane said: "He's had an unbelievable season. It's never easy moving clubs as well and what he [Palmer] has done for Chelsea is a credit to him and the team he was in.

"We're very happy to have him. I am delighted he got his goal because we are going to need all our players chipping in with important goals in the tournament in a couple of weeks. The more people feeling good, the better."

Kane also addressed his own fitness, with the Bayern Munich striker having missed the final few weeks of the Bundesliga season with a slight niggle.

Although, the England skipper believes the unscheduled break may benefit him as he looks to lead the Three Lions to European Championship in Germany.

"I'm feeling good, and a lot of the end of the season was precaution," he added. "There's a big summer coming up, so we didn't want to take any risks with it.

"In the end, it was a good chance to get a good break after a tough season, and we have been in camp now for nearly a week.

"I've had a good week training, some minutes here, and I'm sure I will get some minutes on Friday [against Iceland] and I will be ready to go for the group stage.

"It's almost worked in my favour missing the back end of the season. It gave me a chance to get maybe more rest than I was going to get."

Gareth Southgate admitted he may have future selection headaches after England's 3-0 friendly win over Bosnia-Herzegovina at St. James' Park on Monday.

Cole Palmer netted on his first England start from the penalty spot before Trent Alexander-Arnold and Harry Kane made sure of the victory late on.

With key players out injured, Southgate used the opportunity to give some of the less experienced squad members some valuable minutes ahead of Euro 2024.

The England manager still has to narrow his 33-man preliminary squad down to 26, with the announcement due later this week.

Southgate confessed the first-half performance was not what he wanted, but overall, he was pleased with how his side responded after half-time.

"We had a lot of fresh players to bring in," Southgate told Channel 4. "Once you break that resistance then it starts to come. A lot of players didn't have many caps that started so it was going to be a sticky start.

"I thought [Palmer and Eberechi Eze] both played with the freedom. Ebere has got lovely movement to go past players, he's got power. A couple of times, Cole was being too precise and if he got his shots away earlier maybe he could've got a couple.

"The great thing is we've got through the last few days with no new problems. That's really important. We needed to get through these first matches to get a clearer picture and the guys rehabbing have done well.

"A little bit [of a selection headache] but that's a good thing. I would rather have good performances than poor performances.

"Winning and clean sheets are good habits to have."                    

England's final friendly before their Euro 2024 campaign begins is against Iceland on June 7, with Southgate due to announce his 26-man squad following that game.

Cole Palmer scores on his first England start to set the hosts on their way to a 3-0 friendly victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina at St. James' Park on Monday.

The Chelsea midfielder kept his cool from the spot to put England ahead in the 60th minute after a frustrating goalless first half.

Trent Alexander-Arnold made sure of the victory in the 85th minute, striking a superb low volley around Nikola Vasilj and into the bottom corner.

Harry Kane, off the bench, added a third from close range, pouncing on the loose ball after Ezri Konsa had inadvertently blocked Jarrod Bowen's shot on the line. 

Data Debrief: England find shooting boots in second half

Palmer is just the fifth player to see his first-ever England goal come from the penalty spot, after Tommy Lawton (1938), Alf Ramsey (1951), Allan Clarke (1970) and Ivan Toney (2024).

Not only did Alexander-Arnold score his third goal for the Three Lions in this game, but he also created five chances, at least three more than any other player on the pitch.

Kane may not have started, but his late strike is the 12th goal he has scored in his last 12 matches for the national side across all competitions. 

With England preparing to begin their defence of the T20 World Cup against Scotland, captain Jos Buttler has promised his side will bring "100 per cent intensity".

The 33-year-old led his country to victory two years ago in Australia as they became joint ODI and T20 world champions, and after surrendering the former crown last year, they will be determined not to lose their remaining title.

Tuesday's encounter in Barbados will be the first ever 20-over international between the nations and their first meeting of any kind since 2018, taking place on the same Kensington Oval surface that hosted Namibia's super over victory against Oman on Sunday. 

England approach the fixture as heavy favourites, but Buttler was quick to highlight there was no room for complacency, with last year's dire 50-over World Cup campaign still fresh in the memory for many. 

"We expect a tough challenge, and we're all excited for that," Buttler said. "They've come here to try and win games. They want to beat us and we want to beat them, so it's pretty straightforward.

"There's a good feeling amongst the team, we've had some good performances, but we're fully focused on this game and we need to make sure we bring 100 per cent intensity.

"Every game we have to be right on it. All we are focused on is that Scotland match and that is the biggest and most important thing right now."

England have plenty of local knowledge in their dressing room, with Jofra Archer joined by his fellow Bajan Chris Jordan as well as Phil Salt, who spent six years on the island during his childhood.

Their backroom staff has also made room for former West Indies international Kieran Pollard, who is on hand as a coaching consultant to assist Matthew Mott for the tournament.

"That's part of selection discussions and team discussions, being aware of the wind and right-hand/left-hand combinations," Buttler said of Pollard's presence in the group.

"[Pollard] has fitted in really well. Some of the guys have played with him, or played lots of cricket against him, so have a nice relationship to start from. 

"Obviously, he's got a wealth of T20 knowledge and everyone should have been tapping into that, sponging up any really good information that he's got for us.

"And obviously, [he knows about] local conditions. He knows everything about the Caribbean, and he's got that winner's mindset. 

"I think that's something that we're really tapping into. He's won a lot of competitions around the world… it's great to have guys like that around the group."

Gareth Southgate was delighted to see Jude Bellingham crown a "phenomenal year" by helping Real Madrid to Champions League glory at Wembley.

Los Blancos completed the double with a 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund in the final, having also regained their LaLiga crown after finishing 10 points clear of rivals Barcelona in second place.

It capped a memorable maiden season at Santiago Bernabeu for Bellingham, who was named LaLiga's Player of the Year after scoring 19 goals in the Spanish top flight - a tally only bettered by Girona's Artem Dovbyk (24) and Alexander Sorloth of Villarreal (23).

The midfielder also netted four times in the Champions League, while providing the assist for Vinicius Junior to score the decisive second goal against Dortmund on Saturday.

And Southgate has been thrilled by the 20-year-old's exploits this term.

"It's an incredible year for him," Southgate told reporters ahead of England's Euro 2024 warm-up match against Bosnia-Herzegovina on Monday. 

"To cap that season with winning the Champions League, it's a phenomenal year, and I'm delighted for him.

"His family have to take credit for that. The way he is authentic in interviews, that's how he is. The way he reacts with staff and players, he has the humility and understanding.

"He had to earn the respect of people like [Luka] Modric and [Toni] Kroos, he went on to attack that challenge."

England team-mate Kieran Trippier concurred: "He doesn't seem like a 20-year-old. He's so mature for his age. He's taken it in his stride and all the boys are absolutely delighted for him - not just [for winning] the Champions League, but the season he has had."

Bellingham will miss the Three Lions' penultimate match before the European Championship as he enjoys a much-needed rest, but will link up with the squad before they travel to Germany.

England, who will play Serbia, Denmark and Slovenia in Group C, are among the favourites to go all the way at the tournament, and Southgate knows this is an important period of recuperation for his star midfielder. 

"The most important thing is rest, recovery at this moment, for Jude and for the team," he added. "Have time with his family, clear his head.

"He's played right to the end [of the season]. He's super professional, so he's going to physically tick over, but we need to see him before next Saturday."

England will be without Bukayo Saka, John Stones and Harry Maguire for Monday's friendly against Bosnia and Herzegovina, manager Gareth Southgate confirmed on Sunday.

Saka will be rested after missing Arsenal's last Premier League game of the season, while Stones is still finding fitness after his club campaign with title-winning Manchester City.

In more concerning news for the Three Lions, Manchester United pair Maguire and Luke Shaw are potential longer-term absentees ahead of Euro 2024, which starts on June 14 in Germany.

"All are progressing well," Southgate said at his pre-match press conference. "We are pleased with the progress they've made, none of them will be involved tomorrow.

"Same tomorrow for Bukayo Saka and for John Stones. Everybody else will be involved.

"John has reported a bit later so hasn't worked with us, he will follow an individual programme. Bukayo is fine, he will be rested tomorrow and should be available by Friday."

Anthony Gordon is another doubt after posting for England duty following an impressive season with Newcastle United.

"Gordon has a chance to be available for Friday," Southgate added. "The other two [Maguire and Shaw] are more unlikely, let's see how far they can go."

Though there are injury concerns, Southgate will likely head to the upcoming European Championship with a similar defence as to what helped England to the World Cup semi-finals in 2018.

The Three Lions boss says that proves the quality of his defence, which boasts the likes of Maguire, Stones, Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier and goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

"It's testimony to their consistency," he continued. "They've all been playing at top clubs throughout that time. They have delivered in the biggest matches under intense pressure.

"There is a bond in that group from experiencing the big nights together. Coming through those challenges, we have some good young defenders coming through now.

"What they are brilliant at is making the players feel welcome. They have allowed to settle in as any of those players could be in the team over the next five or six weeks."

Trippier is expected to captain the side in the absence of Harry Kane, who is not likely to start but should be fit from the bench after his back injury sustained when playing for Bayern Munich.

"It's going to be very special," the Newcastle defender said of captaining his country. "I have to thank Gareth for giving me that trust.

"But if I have the armband or not, or if I play or not, I will always be there for the team. To lead the lads out will be special. My son will be mascot as well."

It's fair to say England's last defence of a limited-overs world title did not go to plan.

Eighteen months on from losing their 50-over crown in India, failing to get out of their group as they lost six of nine matches, Jos Buttler's team will hope for far better at the 2024 T20 World Cup.

The champions will face stern competition in the largest-ever edition of the tournament, with 20 teams descending on the West Indies and United States, who get things under way against Canada in Dallas on Saturday.

How will the hosts fare in a tournament many hope will have a lasting impact on stateside cricket? Can India end their 17-year drought in the 20-over format, or will Australia follow in England's footsteps by winning both limited-overs crowns?

Ahead of the opening match, we run through the big storylines and delve into the best Opta stats surrounding the key contenders and players.

The hosts

Many eyebrows were raised when the United States were confirmed as co-hosts for this year's tournament, but a recent 2-1 series win over Bangladesh showed they are not simply there to make up the numbers. 

Sixteen of the tournament's 55 matches will be played in the US, with those split between Dallas, Miami and Long Island, New York. 

This will be just the second edition of the T20 World Cup to be held in more than one country, after Oman and the United Arab Emirates co-hosted in 2021. No host nation has ever lifted the trophy, and only two hosts have even reached the semi-finals – Sri Lanka in 2012 and India in 2016.

The USA are one of three teams making their T20 World Cup bow, alongside Canada and Uganda. Their hopes of making an impression on home turf may rest upon Monank Patel, whose 441 T20I runs put him second in their all-time charts behind Steven Taylor (742).

While the USA's ambitions may be limited to giving a good account of themselves against India, Pakistan and Ireland in Group A, their co-hosts will be hoping for more.

Champions in 2012 and 2016, West Indies are one of just two teams (alongside England) to win multiple T20 World Cups, while they will also become just the second nation to host on two occasions, having previously done so in 2010.

They have been drawn alongside Afghanistan, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Uganda in Group C, and with every match from the Super-8 stage onwards being held in the Caribbean, they will enjoy home advantage all the way.

The last time the Windies served as hosts, no team managed a score of 200 or more runs throughout the entire tournament. That has only occurred at one other T20 World Cup (in 2014), and it looks unlikely to happen again this year, given the likelihood of a few group-stage mismatches.

The champions

No team has ever successfully defended the T20 World Cup trophy, a feat England will attempt to achieve at the site of their first triumph in the format – they beat Australia in the 2010 showpiece at the Kensington Oval.

They face Scotland, Namibia and Oman in Group B, with old rivals Australia also awaiting in a clash likely to determine top spot. 

Captain Buttler and head coach Matthew Mott are under pressure to mastermind a far better title defence than their pitiful effort in the 50-over tournament, and they will adopt a big-hitting approach with Phil Salt, Will Jacks, Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook and Liam Livingstone joining Buttler in the competition's most fearsome top six.

The question marks are with the ball and much could hinge on the fitness of Jofra Archer, after wet weather limited his opportunities to play his way into form in a home series against Pakistan.

Leg-spinner Adil Rashid has more T20I wickets in the West Indies (21) than any other overseas bowler, and he will have been pleased to see England's four group-stage games pencilled in for the Caribbean.

Sam Curran, meanwhile, was the player of the tournament in 2022 and could make another big impact after enjoying his best IPL campaign to date with Punjab Kings. 

The challengers  

India

Like England, India are also looking to banish the ghosts of last year's ODI competition, when they suffered final heartache on home soil.

Skipper Rohit Sharma gets another chance at ending their 17-year T20 World Cup drought, with seven other survivors from the 50-over final loss included in his squad.

Rohit, like Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan, has participated in all eight previous editions of this tournament, and only Virat Kohli (1,141) has bettered his 963 T20 World Cup runs among active players.

Kohli approaches the tournament in fine shape, having clinched the Orange Cap by top-scoring with 741 runs for Royal Challengers Bangaluru in the 2024 IPL.

The main questions surrounding the batting great, as is the case for India's squad at large, relate to the physical toll taken by a jam-packed IPL schedule.  

India's second fixture, which pits them against Pakistan in New York on June 9, is the headline contest of the group stage and will tell us much about their hopes. 

Australia 

Australia head to the Americas with 11 players who tasted success in 50 overs last year, though Steve Smith and Jake Fraser-McGurk – who enjoyed a terrific IPL campaign with Delhi Capitals – were the two big-name omissions from Mitch Marsh's squad. 

This World Cup will be a last dance for David Warner, who has already announced his intention to retire from T20Is – his last international format – after the tournament.

Warner – who was crowned player of the tournament when Australia triumphed in 2021 – has racked up a total of 806 runs at the T20 World Cup, and will hope to surpass 1,000 with a big showing in 2024. 

The big-game experience of Warner, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins et al. will be the envy of most other teams at the tournament. 

Australia will not be fazed by being put under pressure, either, boasting a 72 per cent win rate when chasing in T20 World Cup matches – the highest of any team in tournament history (25 games – 18 wins, seven losses). 

New Zealand

Having reached the semi-finals at the last three editions of the T20 World Cup – losing the 2021 final to Australia – New Zealand appear more likely to challenge the world's top three than an unfamiliar South Africa side, or a Pakistan team plagued by off-pitch issues.

Like Australia, the Black Caps boast an incredible amount of experience, with only four members of Kane Williamson's squad being below the age of 30. 

Mark Chapman, 29, is one of them, and he could be their player to watch after smashing 575 runs in T20Is in 2023. For all member nations, only India's Suryakumar Yadav managed more (733).

Their group-stage match against the Windies – set for June 12 in Trinidad and Tobago – is one to circle on the calendar.

The key players

Andre Russell

Russell has built a reputation as one of the world's most fearsome bowlers and comes into his home tournament off the back of a brilliant IPL campaign with championship-winning Kolkata Knight Riders.

He finished the 2024 IPL with 19 wickets (including three in the final against Sunrisers Hyderabad), a tally only bettered by Harshal Patel (24), Jasprit Bumrah and Avesh Khan (20 each) among pacemen.

Russell also did some damage with the bat, scoring 223 runs at a strike rate of 184.3.

Travis Head

Australia superstar Head enters the World Cup in the form of his life, with his 567 runs for Sunrisers Hyderabad making him the fourth-highest run scorer in the 2024 IPL and the highest non-Indian (only Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Riyan Parag managed more).

His batting strike rate of 191.6 was only bettered by Abhishek Sharma (204.2) and Fraser-McGurk (234). With the latter failing to make Australia's squad, Head will carry the burden with the bat. 

Jasprit Bumrah

India's squad is packed full of household names, but Bumrah remains the player opposition teams envy most of all. The world's number one paceman has 74 wickets in 61 T20I overs in his career, second only to Yuzvendra Chaha (96) in the India squad. 

Virat Kohli

Another of India's icons, Kohli has a batting average of 81.5 from 25 previous innings at the T20 World Cup, the best of any player in the history of the tournament to have at least 10 innings under their belts.

He has scored 50 or more runs in four of his last six innings in the tournament (82*, 62*, 12, 64*, 26 and 50). Ireland – India's first opponents on June 5 – had better beware. 

Jos Buttler 

While England have plenty of players capable of taking the lead with the bat, skipper Buttler is often the man they turn to in this format.

Since the start of the 2021 tournament, he has scored 29.7 per cent of England's runs in T20 World Cup action, the best rate of any player with at least four innings during that span.

Harry Maguire says that tournaments are built on "magic moments" as England begin their preparations for Euro 2024.

Under Gareth Southgate, England's tournament record has vastly improved, with the Three Lions playing their first major tournament final at Euro 2020 since they won the 1966 World Cup.

They also reached the semi-final of the 2018 World Cup and the quarter-final in the 2022 edition but lost out to eventual finalists Croatia and France on those occasions.

Maguire has been a pivotal figure for England in their last three tournaments and admits that it is fine margins that can ultimately decide the result.

"I think all three of the games we've lost in those tournaments could have gone either way," Maguire told Sky Sports.

"Playing a tournament is totally different to playing league football - it's built on moments, and you've got to make sure you're there within the game to let the moments take over.

"That's where your big players come to play and produce those magic moments.

"You just need to make sure you're there to make it and perform on the day to give yourself an opportunity to go and win."

England are now aiming to go one better than they did at Euro 2020 when they lost on penalties to Italy in the final at Wembley Stadium.

Asked what it would mean to get his hands on the trophy, Maguire added: "It would mean absolutely everything...

"We haven't lifted a trophy in a long, long time - but we've been close.

"It's a good time to be an England player. We feel we're in a good moment and it's a tournament I'm looking forward to - we're going there to win."

England begin their Euro 2024 campaign against Serbia on June 16, and will also come up against Denmark and Slovenia in Group C.

Jos Buttler says there is a "good feeling" around the England squad, following their pre-T20 World Cup series win over Pakistan.

The reigning champions, who begin their title defence against Scotland in Barbados on Tuesday, completed their preparations with a seven-wicket victory at The Oval wrapping up a 2-0 series win.

It was a disrupted series with washouts preventing the T20Is in Leeds and Cardiff, but England finished it on a high, successfully chasing down Pakistan's total of 157 with 27 balls remaining.

Although the tourists were looking good at 59-0 within the first six overs, the pendulum swung in the hosts' favour as Adil Rashid and Jofra Archer quickly bowled Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam.

Buttler (39) and Phil Salt (45) then led the way in England's successful chase on the day of the former's record-breaking 116th T20I for his country, surpassing Eoin Morgan.

And despite playing two fewer games than scheduled in the series, the skipper feels the squad are in good shape ahead of their World Cup defence. 

"We have worked hard in training and there is a good feeling around the squad," he said. "Guys are all stepping up and performing.

"It would have been nice to get two more games in to expose a few guys to different situations, but we have really good experience in the group and a lot of guys have been playing in the IPL, so we are not short of cricket."

Of his own performance, he added: "I have a quest to keep improving, trying to work on a few different things in my game that I haven't been doing. That is giving me fresh energy and motivation.

"It went well for five or six overs but then I got out. The middle order needs to step up," Pakistan skipper Babar Azam said, with his nation beginning their World Cup campaign against the United States on Thursday.

"We need to sort out those things for the World Cup. We have a few injuries, but there are a lot of positives. Our play is good in patches."

England eased to a seven-wicket victory over Pakistan in their final T20I at The Oval on Thursday to win the series 2-0.

England won the toss and decided to bowl first, and it almost looked to be the wrong choice as Pakistan raced to 59-0 within the first six overs.

However, Adil Rashid and Jofra Archer quickly bowled Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam to turn the tide as Pakistan suddenly collapsed.

England's bowlers turned on the style as Liam Livingstone got a double wicket maiden (2-17), with Rashid (2-27) and Mark Wood (2-35) also doing their part to limit Pakistan to 157 all out in the final over.

England comfortably chased down 158, with Phil Salt (45) and captain Joss Buttler (39) getting them off to a strong start as the openers.

Will Jacks added a further 20 before Jonny Bairstow and Harry Brook, who finished the game off with a final six, saw England to 158-3 with 27 balls remaining.

After two washouts disrupted the series in Leeds and Cardiff, England got a confidence-boosting victory ahead of their World Cup title defence, which will begin against Scotland in Barbados on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Pakistan will play the United States in their World Cup Opener on Thursday. 

Data Debrief: Buttler breaks records

Buttler has broken the record for playing the most T20Is (116) for England, surpassing Eoin Morgan.

Though he did not quite reach the heights of England's win at Edgbaston, his knock saw him hit seven fours and one six on their way to a comfortable victory. 

England manager Gareth Southgate has no doubt over the talent of Kobbie Mainoo after watching the Manchester United youngster flourish this campaign.

Mainoo was on target in Saturday's FA Cup final victory over rivals Manchester City as Man Utd triumphed 2-1 at Wembley Stadium.

Having caressed past Stefan Ortega in the first half, 19-year-old Mainoo became the first English teenager to score in an FA Cup final since Steve MacKenzie for City against Tottenham in 1981.

That match-winning finish capped a fine breakthrough campaign for Mainoo, who has been rewarded with a place in England's preliminary squad for Euro 2024.

As the Three Lions joined together for their pre-tournament training camp, Southgate reserved special praise for the exciting England midfielder.

"The curious thing about young talent is how will they cope under pressure," Southgate said in an interview with England's media channels. 

"You can see the technical ability but it's about how tactically aware they are, how mature, ability to cope with big matches.

"When you're playing for Manchester United, you're always under the spotlight. He's shown that with them, with us in March.

"We've never been afraid to put young players in. If players are good enough we're not so concerned about their age. 

"Kobbie has had an amazing season and it was fabulous for him to finish the season with a goal and a trophy."

Decisions remain for Southgate, though, as the England boss prepares to cut his 33-man squad to just 26 players ahead of the upcoming tournament in Germany.

He added: "It will be extremely difficult. It was very difficult to leave players out of this 33 and, of course, there are some younger players coming in with slightly different expectations to this camp.

"But there are going to be some difficult calls to make. We're hoping that not too many of these calls are decided by injury and we've got the strongest possible squad to pick from."

England will play warm-up friendlies against Bosnia and Herzegovina and Iceland next week, before starting their group-stage campaign in a June 16 meeting with Serbia.

Denmark and Slovenia will follow for England, who will hope to go one better than their runners-up finish to Italy in the last European Championship three years ago.

"There are so many aspects to being with this group of people that I love," Southgate continued, looking ahead to the upcoming international tournament.

"Ultimately we're trying to form a team and a group that have got to push each other and be there for each other. There's a team dynamic that's crucial to winning that we have to find.

"People will have slightly different roles that they will with their clubs. At their club, all of these guys are pretty much the first choice on the team sheet, so some have different roles in the next few weeks.

"The challenge of winning the games and the excitement of seeing our fans out there in some of the biggest occasions in world football is why you're in the game really. That's what we're looking forward to."

James Anderson retiring from Test cricket shocked Nathan Lyon as the Australian spinner believes England's veteran would still be their best bowler.

England great Anderson will call time to his storied red-ball career when Brendon McCullum's side host West Indies at Lord's, starting on July 10.

The Lancashire bowler leaves the international scene as England's all-time leading wicket-taker in Test cricket, with 700 dismissals in 187 appearances.

His wicket-taking heroics are the most by any pace bowler in Test history, and Anderson's decision came as welcome news to Ashes rival Lyon.

"Obviously, Jimmy Anderson is in the conversation of being the greatest fast bowler of all time," Lyon told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"Good luck to Jimmy and I look forward to playing with him at Lancashire, but I'm glad he won't be coming out to the next Ashes."

Anderson's hand appeared somewhat forced as England started planning for the future, setting their sights on The Ashes in Australia across late 2025 and into 2026.

By the time that Ashes series arrives, Anderson will be 43.

Owing to Anderson's age, England coach McCullum, managing director Rob Key and captain Ben Stokes, want to test the likes of Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts and Gus Atkinson as pace-bowling options.

With Stuart Broad already announcing his retirement after his last outing against Australia, Lyon could not believe England's decision to let Anderson go.

"My care factor for England is pretty low, but I was pretty surprised when I did read that they tapped him on the shoulder," added Lyon.

"I look at James and what he's been able to do for England cricket, it's pretty remarkable.

"This is just my opinion – I still think he would be England's best bowler."

A thumping 3-0 T20 International series sweep over South Africa propelled West Indies up the ICC Men’s T20I Team Rankings into fourth place, ahead of the much-anticipated T20 World Cup.

Despite missing a few big faces, West Indies managed to sweep the series, and that along with the rise in rankings should provide a significant boost to the confidence of the Darren Sammy-coached side heading into the June 1-29 showpiece to be hosted in the Caribbean and United States.

With the series win, West Indies (254 rating points), the champions of the 2012 and 2016 editions of the T20 World Cup, are at the fourth place in the list led by 2007 champions India (264 rating points), with 2021 champions Australia (257 rating points) and defending champions England (254 rating points) at the second and third place respectively.

There were individual bright spots for West Indies in the series, who gained substantially in the T20I Player Rankings. This included stand-in skipper Brandon King, whose 159 runs helped him jump up five places to the eighth position in the Men’s T20I Batting Rankings.

His opening partner, Johnson Charles, who hit a blistering 69 from 26 balls in a Player of the Match performance in the third game of the series, gained 17 spots to reach the 20th place.

Meanwhile, Kyle Mayers (31st place in Batting Rankings) and Gudakesh Motie (27th place in Bowling Rankings) were the other beneficiaries from the recently concluded series.

These results bode well for the Men in Maroon, who will be looking for a record third title during their home T20 World Cup. They are placed in Group C along Afghanistan, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Uganda.

They start their campaign against Papua New Guinea in Guyana on Sunday.

ICC Men's T20I Team Rankings

India -264 points

Australia - 257 points

England - 254 points

West Indies  - 252 points

New Zealand  - 250 points

For the second time this series, England and Pakistan saw a game abandoned due to rain, this time at Sophia Gardens on Tuesday.

After their opening game at Headingley was washed out, the teams endured another frustrating day in Cardiff as the umpires called off the third match without a single bowl being bowled.

England’s 23-run victory at Edgbaston on Saturday means they have an unassailable 1-0 lead in the series.

However, Pakistan have one last chance to level things at The Oval on Thursday before both teams head off to the United States for the T20I World Cup in June. 

Michael Owen believes Jude Bellingham has a "massive chance" of winning the Ballon d'Or after a stand-out debut season at Real Madrid.

Los Blancos won their 36th LaLiga title, losing just one of their league games while finishing 10 points clear of second-place Barcelona.

Bellingham ended the league campaign as Madrid’s top-scorer, netting 19 LaLiga goals and added another four in the Champions League to help them on their way to the final.

The attacking-midfielder has also created more chances under pressure (19) than any other midfielder in the Champions League, with four of those resulting in an assist for a Madrid teammate.

Bellingham is due to join up with England for Euro 2024 following the Champions League final as the Three Lions aim to win their first major trophy since 1966.

Bellingham is among the favourites to get his hands on the Ballon d'Or and would be the first Englishman to win it since Owen himself in 2001.

"The Ballon d'Or comes to players who have an exceptional season, not only personally, but who have had a season where they have won something or multiple titles," Owen told TNT Sports.

"If Jude Bellingham goes and wins LaLiga, which he already has done, as well as the Champions League all while being one of the stars of the show in that team, then he has got to be in the conversation.

"A lot will depend on Euro 2024 with England. If he has a good tournament and England go far, then you could rightly say that he has a massive chance."

Bellingham will face former club Borussia Dortmund at Wembley on Saturday as Madrid aim to lift a record-extending 15th title in the European Cup.