Ben Stokes says England are mulling sticking with Ollie Pope as wicketkeeper for the second Test against Pakistan which starts in Multan on Friday.

Pope stepped in with the gloves for the ill Ben Foakes in England's 74-run first Test win in Rawalpindi, making 108 in the first innings. Foakes was one of numerous England players hit by illness on the eve of the first Test but was unable to take his place.

Pope, 24, has made three centuries in 31 Tests but kept wicket for only the second time in his Test career in Rawalpindi.

If Pope retains the gloves, England could bring in fast bowler Mark Wood, replacing the injured Liam Livingstone, to bolster their attack which was burdened with a heavy workload in the first Test.

"We found ourselves in that situation and still picked a team that was strong enough to win. We'll consider all our options," Stokes said.

"I think there are a few different options we are going to lay out in front of each other, and try and understand what is the best option to try and win this Test match. Because we have got a few other factors that we have to contend with.

"That's the great thing about where we're at at the moment… As I said, we are going to have a conversation at some point about what we feel is the best route to go."

Beyond Pope's century, he had a mixed Test with the gloves, dropping a catch in Pakistan's first innings, while spurning an opportunity in the second innings with one wicket left.

Pope also pulled off a smart stumping to dismiss Zahid Mahmood along with an acrobatic one-handed catch down the leg side to dismiss the same player in the same innings as England pushed for victory.

Wood has only just returned from a long-term elbow injury, with Stokes adding his availability was "an added bonus".

Another factor impacting selection is the morning smog in Multan, which could delay the start of play, potentially shortening the number of overs available if there is bad light late in the day, like which occurred on four of the five days in Rawalpindi.

"We'll have a sit-down discussion and we'll find a way to pick a team which we find is best to win the game, with those two things: the start time potentially delayed and coming off early because of the light," Stokes said.

"We could end up having only 300-350 overs in the Test match. We might have to get even a bit more adventurous with what we do. We'll see."

Ben Stokes reiterated his England side have little interest in drawing games after a dramatic denouement saw them claim a 74-run victory over Pakistan in the pair's first Test.

In the tourists' first red-ball visit to the country since 2005, an aggressive performance with bat and ball paid off as Jack Leach beat the dying light on the final day to dismiss Naseem Shah.

Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum's tactical approach on a flat surface yielded a Test match with the third-highest aggregate number of runs in history, and an early declaration that set up a thrilling final day.

James Anderson and Ollie Robinson struck in a rip-roaring passage after tea to check the ultimate momentum of any Pakistan chase, and Stokes acknowledged vindication for his game-plan in the aftermath.

"We've no interest in drawing," he stated. "On pitches like this, you have to make things happen, [you have to] make some bold decisions. We had to entice the batters to play a shot at times.

"I think it's maybe up there with England's greatest away wins. The toil everyone has put in is hitting. We've done something very special this week.

England had not won in red-ball cricket in Pakistan since a famed win in Karachi in 2000, and there were similarities to its sundown finale as England raced to snag their final wickets before the light was gone in Rawalpindi.

It is a feat made all the more impressive by how the tourists pulled together after a virus outbreak in the build-up left questions over whether the Test would actually proceed as intended.

"There's a few things you can plan for, which is the way we want to approach Test cricket," Stokes added. "But what you can't plan for is what happened to the squad a few days before. That seems a long time ago.

"I want to give our group of players a lot of credit for coming here and turning up, a little bit under the weather. Will Jacks got the nod to make his debut about three minutes before team-time,

"You can go through this whole Test match and pick out key individuals. I think with what we've had to deal with coming into this Test match makes this win feel a little bit better."

Opposite number Babar Azam was left to rue missed opportunities for his side, Pakistan having entered the final session needing only 86 to win with five wickets in hand after tea.

"We were not up to the mark," he added, "We had a golden chance to win this Test, but session by session we lost wickets. All credit to our bowlers, it was difficult.

"We had our opportunity but we couldn't get partnerships in the end. We have a lot of positives, so we will try to continue that in the next match."

Ollie Robinson and James Anderson starred as England claimed a famous 74-run win in an enthralling first Test against Pakistan at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

Ben Stokes was rewarded for a bold declaration when the tourists claimed a first away victory over Pakistan in the longest format for 22 years on a benign pitch late on the final day.

Robinson took 4-50 and the evergreen Anderson 4-36 before Jack Leach ended a defiant last-wicket stand with the light  fading to bowl Babar Azam's side out for 268 after they were set 343 to win.

England's seamers were outstanding, generating sharp reverse swing with an old ball to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series in their first Test in Pakistan for 17 years.

Anderson struck an early blow after Pakistan resumed on 80-2, snaring Imam-ul-Haq caught behind by Ollie Pope down the leg side for 48.

Saud Shakeel (76) and Mohammad Rizwan (46) took their side on to 169-3 at lunch, but Pakistan's wicketkeeper-batsman nicked Anderson through to Pope early in the afternoon session.

Keaton Jennings, the substitute fielder due to a tour-ending knee injury sustained by Liam Livingstone, took a brilliant diving catch at short cover off the bowling of Robinson to remove Shakeel.

Azhar Ali (40) played with great composure, after retiring hurt on day four with a finger injury, as he combined with Agha Salman to frustrate the tourists, Stokes and Anderson bowling excellent spells without further reward.

Pope dropped Azhar off Robinson down the leg side off the next ball, but the seamer ended a stand of 61 by trapping Salman leg before and then had Azhar caught by Joe Root at leg slip.

Naseem Shah had a huge stroke of luck with the first ball he faced when Robinson clipped his off stump but the bails stayed on, but Pakistan were eight down when Pope took a stunning catch for Anderson down the leg side to see the back of Zahid Mahmood.

Anderson got Haris Rauf lbw and although Mohammad Ali and Naseem dug in for just under nine overs, the latter fell lbw to Leach to give England one of their greatest wins after Stokes left it late to take the new ball.

Robinson and Anderson swing the game in England's favour

You would expect the spinners to play a massive part on the final day, but it was the reverse swing generated by England's seamers that was crucial.

Robinson generated sharp movement in the air, striking twice early in the last session to set England well on their way to victory.

Anderson was also magnificent, the 40-year-old once again showing age is no barrier as he bowled 24 probing overs on a lifeless pitch.

Stokes can do no wrong

Captain Stokes became only the third England captain to win a Test in Pakistan after Ted Dexter and Nasser Hussain.

The skipper could not have wished for a better start to his reign, beating New Zealand, South Africa and India on home soil this year and leading the side superbly in this remarkable Test.

England's bold declaration on the fourth day of their first Test with Pakistan shows how Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum are "pioneers", says Paul Collingwood.

The captain and head coach's aggressive approach to red-ball cricket has been rewarded with rapid runs during their encounter in Rawalpindi, as they look to win in their first long-form visit since 2005.

Having bowled out their hosts for 579, to earn a first-innings lead of 78, a rampant 264-7 followed by an early declaration at tea set Pakistan an achievable 343 in pursuit.

England reduced their opponents to 80-2 at the close of play, heading into the last day, but their swing-for-the-fences approach continues to delight many, including assistant coach Collingwood.

"Sometimes I think it's crazy – crazy in a good way," Collingwood said. "I know I would never have come up with some of the ideas Ben and Baz [McCullum] come up with, but it's great to see. It's going against convention.

"When it comes off, it's genius. If it doesn't come off, so be it. The bigger picture of what Baz McCullum and Ben Stokes are doing is for Test cricket to be entertaining.

"It feels like they have been pioneers in the way they go about playing the game. You've got two guys willing to risk everything to make sure that this game survives.

"It's great to watch. If you play the game in the right way and put yourself in the right position to win the Test match, there's no shame in losing a cricket match.

"If Pakistan knock the runs off tomorrow, they deserve the win. It's very well-balanced. It's up to us to come out tomorrow with plenty of energy, and if we get a couple of early wickets, we're right ahead of the game."

Stokes, who succeeded Joe Root as skipper earlier this year, has forged a thrilling partnership with former New Zealand captain McCullum since he took the reins.

Their run rate of 6.73 per over in Rawalpindi is the fastest ever set by a Test team batting twice in a match.

England need eight wickets to win the first Test on the final day and Pakistan require 263 runs to go 1-0 up after a bold declaration from Ben Stokes at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

Stokes set Pakistan 343 for victory on a flat pitch when he ended the tourists' innings on 264-7 from 35.5 overs during the tea break on Sunday and they closed on 80-2.

Debutant Will Jacks had earlier taken 6-161 to bowl Pakistan out for 579 before England put their foot down again, with Harry Brook (87), Joe Root (73) and Zak Crawley (50) scoring rapid half-centuries.

Having kept the match alive with such a positive approach on a placid track, England got rid of Abdullah Shafique and Babar Azam, with Azhar Ali also departing retired hurt to leave the game well poised heading into the final day.

Agha Salman (53) and Zahid Mahmood (17) held England up with an eighth-wicket stand of 57 after they resumed on 499-7, but the impressive Jacks removed that pair and Haris Rauf to end the innings.

Ben Duckett was taken by Salman at second slip off Naseem Shah for a golden duck in the first over of England's second innings and Ollie Pope made only 15, but Crawley and Root piled on the runs.

They put on 60 before the elegant Crawley, one of the tourists' four first-innings centurions, was removed by Mohammad Ali, with Brook then sharing a rapid stand of 96 with Root.

Former captain Root batted left-handed at one stage as he made a classy half-century, while Brook showed his full repertoire of shots on both sides of the wicket as the runs continued to flow.

Root was caught when sweeping Zahid and Stokes fell without scoring in the same over, before declaring after the brilliant Brook was cleaned up by Naseem on the stroke of tea.

England's short-ball approach paid off when Ollie Robinson dismissed Shafique and Stokes claimed the huge wicket of Babar, caught behind for only four, after Azhar departed having taken blow on his index finger.

Imam-ul-Haq (43 not out) and Saud Shakeel (24no) saw Pakistan through to the close, the debutant getting a late life when he was dropped by Keaton Jennings at short leg. 

The joy of six for Jacks 

Jacks came into the England set-up better known for his explosive batting than his bowling, but the spinning all-rounder has made a big impact with the ball on his Test bow.

He polished off Pakistan's first innings in the morning session to double his wicket tally, earning his rewards for bowling 40.3 overs. 

Jacks later struck three sixes as he made a quickfire 23 from 13 balls as England batted in one-day mode once again before the declaration.

Blistering Brook, Stokes strikes

Following a 153 from 116 balls in the first innings, Brook put on another show as he took the Pakistan bowling attack apart.

He struck three sixes and 11 fours, demonstrating great timing and clean hitting to enable Stokes to declare during the tea interval.

Stokes then claimed the huge scalp of Babar to give England the upper hand after Robinson had Shafique taken by Brook in the deep.

England's record-breaking start to the first Test against Pakistan was a prime example of the aggressive style implemented by Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes, says Ollie Pope.

Pope joined Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett and Harry Brook in making his century as England closed on 506-4 after an incredible display in Rawalpindi, becoming the first team to make 500 runs on day one of a Test and beating Australia's previous record of 494 runs against South Africa from 1910.

England have produced several fine batting displays since McCullum and Stokes took over as head coach and captain this year, leading Pope to hail the squad's willingness to buy into their ideas.

Speaking to Sky Sports after helping England make a historic start to their first Test in Pakistan since 2005, Pope said: "I think it's the ideal start to the tour!

"We really listened to what Baz and Stokesy have said. It was an amazing day.

"The best thing is everyone has lived by how the two guys up top want us to play. 

"They want us to entertain people. It is not about milestones. It is about putting on a show and putting the team in a good position. 

"The fact everyone is so happy to buy into that puts us in a really good place."

Meanwhile, Duckett's ton saw him make a dream return to England's red-ball side after a six-year hiatus, leaving the 28-year-old in disbelief.

"Very special, pretty crazy day and a crazy build-up to the Test match. For me personally, it's a special day, it's one I didn't think that'll come around," Duckett said.

"I don't think there will be a better environment to be involved in. I am sure there will be a lot of cricketers in England who will want to be part of it. It went well today.

"It helps being in these conditions, I knew it was going to be nice batting conditions. The T20 series [in Pakistan] was a big confidence thing for me."

Ben Stokes remained non-committal on his England future in ODI cricket but refused to rule out a possible return for the Cricket World Cup in 2023.

The 31-year-old called time on his 50-over international career in July as he cited an "unsustainable" workload alongside his Test captaincy commitments and T20 interests.

Stokes subsequently guided England to their second T20 World Cup title with a vital 52 not out to help Matthew Mott's side to a five-wicket victory over Pakistan in the November 13 final.

The star all-rounder will turn his attention to the first Test against Pakistan, which will start on either Thursday or Friday depending on England's fitness after a viral outbreak in the tourist's camp.

But Stokes, speaking on Wednesday, left the door open for a potential return to 50-over cricket – the format in which he powered England to Cricket World Cup glory in 2019.

"[Rob Key] pulled me to the side and as soon as he said '50-over World Cup' I just walked away," the England Test captain said.

"Who knows? At the moment, being out here, my focus is solely on this series.

"Going to a World Cup is an amazing thing to do, to represent your country. But at the moment I'm not even thinking about that."

Next year's schedule leaves the opportunity for Stokes to reverse his retirement decision, given a large portion of England's contests are loaded into the front half of 2023.

A two-Test tour of New Zealand in February follows after three red-ball outings against Pakistan before the start of the Indian Premier League, which Stokes has put himself forward for in the draft.

England then face Ireland in a four-day Test as a warm-up for The Ashes at home against Australia, which will be finished by the end of July, with four T20Is to follow against New Zealand.

Should Stokes have a change of heart on his decision, six ODIs split between the Black Caps and Ireland across September would serve as a perfect warm-up for October's Cricket World Cup in India.

Liam Livingstone will make his Test debut for England when they begin their red-ball tour of Pakistan on Thursday.

Livingstone will bat at number eight in Rawalpindi after seeing off competition from Will Jacks, as well as offering a spin-bowling option for Ben Stokes' side.

Meanwhile, another significant change sees Ben Duckett come in for his first Test appearance since 2016, replacing Alex Lees at the top of the batting order.

Asked about Livingstone's qualities, Stokes highlighted the way his style fits the aggressive philosophy of head coach Brendon McCullum.

"He's one of those cricketers who can come on from anywhere and take a wicket when the ball's flowing the opposition's way," Stokes said.

"It was a pretty simple conversation I had with him, actually before we went out to Australia for the [T20] World Cup. I obviously told him where we stood in terms of him playing some red-ball cricket out in the subcontinent.

"With the skill he has with the ball and the way he plays with the bat, [he] is very aligned with how me and Baz want to see the team play. He jumped at the opportunity. 

"He's a very natural cricketer, he's going to go out there and really express himself."

England's three-Test series will be their first in Pakistan for 17 years, with safety concerns preventing the team from visiting after the Sri Lanka team bus was targeted by gunmen on a 2009 tour.

England returned to the country for a seven-match T20I series during September and October this year, winning four of those contests.

England captain Ben Stokes says he will donate his match fees to the Pakistan Floods Appeal during his side's Test tour of the country this week.

The tourists will kick off their three-match series in Rawalpindi on Thursday, in what is their first visit for red-ball cricket since 2005.

Stokes, who helped fire England to T20 World Cup glory against Pakistan in Australia earlier this month, is taking charge of his first overseas trip since succeeding Joe Root as captain.

But amid fierce weather that rocked the country earlier this year, the captain says he will be donating his earnings from the tour to relief causes throughout his stay.

"The floods that devastated Pakistan earlier this year [were] very sad to see," he wrote in a statement on social media.

"The game has given me a lot in my life and I feel it's only right to give something back that goes far beyond cricket."

Meanwhile, head coach Brendon McCullum says his side will be looking to maintain an offensive approach to their game after a successful year so far.

England won six of their seven Tests on home soil earlier this year and the New Zealander says there will be no change for their journey abroad.

"We'll be pushing for results, but we want to play entertaining cricket," he told BBC Sport. "There may be a time where you risk losing to win and if Pakistan are good enough to beat us, that's cool too."

"Our goal is to make Test cricket a sport which people want to turn on and be prepared to pay their money for, and they walk away entertained.

"With some of the conditions we'll be faced with, it might push us into that more aggressive style, which we like anyway."

England Test captain Ben Stokes hopes to have "one of the superstars of the international game" Jofra Archer fit and firing for the Ashes.

Archer has not played on the international stage since March 2021 due to injury, but returned to action for the England Lions against England this week.

The luckless paceman bowled nine overs in his first match for 16 months, not taking a wicket but rattling Zak Crawley on the helmet with a rapid bouncer in Abu Dhabi.

England will attempt to regain the Ashes from Australia on home soil next year and Stokes wants hostile quick Archer to play his part.

The all-rounder told Sky Sports: "It's been great to see him out here when we joined up with the Lions.

"It's great to see him back running with the ball in his hand. He's one of the superstars of the international game and it's great to see him running back in, bowling fast and it's really good to have him back around the group as well.

"I think he's just really excited to be back. He's obviously had a long time off with injury and as exciting as it is we've got to be careful not to rush him back as we don't want to see Jofra Archer on the sidelines for this amount of [time] again.

"That's the plan, hopefully we can have Jofra fit and ready especially for The Ashes.

"That's something that we're looking at for Jof and it would be great to have him available for selection for that."

Leg-spinning all-rounder Rehan Ahmed could become the youngest man to play a Test for England against Pakistan next month after he was added to the squad this week.

Stokes is excited by the potential the 18-year-old, who also played for the Lions in a drawn three-day match this week, possesses.

He said: "We've seen him as one of those very rare talents. To have someone at such a young age be so noticeable as a cricketer with the way that he bowls and the way that he bats.

"We saw it as a very good opportunity to get him into the squad, get him around the group, get him into the environment.

"He's a fantastic talent, he loves cricket, he just spends all his time shadow-batting in his room. He absolutely loves it.

"I'm really excited to have him into the squad, get him round the group and see what he's got."

Joe Root had to relinquish the England Test captaincy due to the toll it started to take on his personal life as he felt like a "zombie".

The Yorkshire and England batter succeeded Alastair Cook as red-ball captain in 2017 and resigned last April after a torrid run of one win in 17 Tests, with a 1-0 series defeat to West Indies the final straw.

Root still delivered remarkable returns with the bat in 2021, despite England's struggles, scoring 1,708 runs in 15 matches, including two double centuries and a further four tons.

A new Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum era has somewhat transformed England's red-ball cricket, with two convincing series triumphs over New Zealand and South Africa either side of victory over India to secure a draw in the rescheduled meeting.

Root has still played a vital role, scoring three Test centuries since stepping down as captain, though he admitted the change was necessary after the role had started to impact him.

"The captaincy was starting to take a toll on me," Root told the Mail on Sunday.

"The limited time I did get to spend with family, which should be enjoyed and treasured, I wasn't able to do that. I wasn't really there. I came to realise that that had been the case for a little while.

"There were times when I was thinking about something I couldn't control or something that hadn't happened previously. You go in on yourself.

"We would still do what we would normally do as a family, but I would not be listening. I just felt like a bit of a zombie almost.

"I could start seeing it have an impact on me as a person. You want to bring your personality to the role, not bring the role to your personality. It was reversing into something slightly unhealthy."

Root will hope to continue to support Stokes' England as McCullum's side head to Pakistan for a three-Test series, which starts on December 1 at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

England limited-overs coach Matthew Mott hopes he can lure Ben Stokes out of ODI retirement ahead of the Cricket World Cup in 2023.

Star all-rounder Stokes called an end to his 50-over international career in July as he suggested the workload amid a packed schedule was "unsustainable" alongside his Test captaincy.

The 31-year-old did not bow out of the shortest format, though, and proved his white-ball worth with a vital 52 not out in Sunday's T20 World Cup final victory over Pakistan.

Stokes became just the third player to score 50-plus runs in finals of both an ODI World Cup and a T20 World Cup, having starred against New Zealand in the dramatic Lord's showpiece in 2019.

England are the first side to boast duel limited-overs titles at the same time, and Mott hopes he can convince Stokes to return to defend their ODI crown in India next year.

"When he spoke to me about his ODI retirement, one of the first things I said was that I'd back any decision he made," Mott told Sky Sports.

"He didn't necessarily have to retire, he could just not play 50 overs for a while. I did say 'you could always un-retire'. It's his decision. He'll do what's right for English cricket and he always has.

"It's going to be a World Cup year and we don't play much T20 cricket for a while but it will be a decision that's up to him. The more we can get him is great. He's a world-class player.

"He's doing an amazing job with the Test captaincy but he is a very big cog in the wheel when he comes back to white ball. I can't speak more highly of the way he's been around this group."

Stokes and Sam Curran, who took the second-most wickets by a pace bowler (13) at an edition of the T20 World Cup, both delivered on the biggest stage for England.

But Mott also pinpointed the influential figures of Reece Topley and Jonny Bairstow, who both missed the tournament in Australia due to injury.

"Reece Topley was a big part of our preparation for here," the Australian added. "I was absolutely gutted for him, such an innocuous injury. Seeing him leave our group was hard.

"I must admit he was one of the first blokes I thought of (after England's win) – and Jonny as well.

"Those guys, it's hard for them when you prepare so much to do something like this, and they don't come round that often, to have to miss that opportunity is heartbreaking."

England's success Down Under could be somewhat credited to Australia, though, given Mott was partnered by Mike Hussey and David Saker in his coaching setup.

"Players make coaches, coaches don't make players at this level," Mott continued "There's no doubt it was a real advantage in Australia to have some Australian coaches around.

"A lot of people just said I got my mates in to do the role. But both of those appointments were suggested by players within our group and had worked with both of them before."

Ben Stokes has earned the right to be called an England great after the "once-in-a-generation player" guided Jos Buttler's side to T20 World Cup glory.

That was the message from former England seamer Ryan Sidebottom, who was speaking to Stats Perform after Stokes' 52 not out saw sealed a five-wicket victory over Pakistan in Sunday's final.

The all-rounder came to the crease at the MCG with England 32-2 in their pursuit of 138, but produced a well-crafted innings to record his first T20I half-century on the biggest occasion.

Sidebottom labelled the Test captain as one of England's best players off all time after Stokes became just the third player to score 50-plus runs in both an ODI World Cup and T20 World Cup final.

Asked whether Stokes was now an England legend, Sidebottom said: "I would say so, most definitely. He's probably got to be.

"He could be called Sir Ben Stokes at some stage, but I think he's done it so many times now you can't argue with that.

"With what he's done in the key moments under pressure, he's the man to do it. You have a once-in-a-generation player and when the big occasion comes around, more often than not, he turns up.

"He turns it on, and it makes things happen. Look at the Ashes and the 2019 World Cup. It's almost crazy to say this, but it's almost like he's just playing a regular game in the park.

"He doesn't worry about the situation, or what type of game he's playing in. I think he's just saying, 'I'm out here. I'm just going to play my game. And I'll see us over the line'.

"Once you strip it all back and you keep it very simple, it certainly changes how you play as a player – he's been phenomenal."

Stokes suffered T20 World Cup final heartbreak in 2016 when Carlos Brathwaite smashed him for four successive sixes to win the competition for West Indies.

Sidebottom says the honesty and professionalism of Stokes to respond to that setback is what sets him apart from the rest.

"Having played a professional sport, there's always highs and lows," he added. "There's always negatives, there's always days when it doesn't go your way and maybe your opposition number gets the better of you or you just have a bad day out.

"You'll either learn from that, or you can sulk about it and let it affect you. What Ben Stokes has done after that World Cup final, since then, he has never ever looked back. 

"The things that we've sort of seen away from the cricket, we've all done stupid things. We've all done things that we regret or we didn't mean to do, you grow and mature and he's done that.

"He's done his time. He's been open and honest. With his mental health issues and everything like that. Then his cricket has improved immensely and he's turned himself into a mighty fine cricketer."

Stokes has become accustomed to playing the hero for England in recent years, most notably in the victorious 2019 Cricket World Cup final against New Zealand and in the Ashes at Headingley in the same year.

The calm manner in which Stokes goes about his business is another key facet Sidebottom pinpointed, with his demeanour helping England rally to four straight wins to seal their second T20 World Cup crown.

"Ben Stokes is that calming influence, he doesn't panic. He's very level-headed and I think with someone like him, it runs through the team," Sidebottom continued.

"When you've got a player like that with his stature, when he's so calm at the crease, it certainly goes through the team.

"And the team say, 'we don't need to panic, we can easily win this game.' It showed in the final and in the semi-final.

"It also showed in the Sri Lanka game where it was getting very close. Ben Stokes didn't panic. The whole team are just accustomed now to playing in big tournaments and used to being under pressure a lot more."

Eoin Morgan declared England can be "regarded as one of the great sides" after T20 World Cup glory at the MCG on Sunday.

Former limited-overs England captain Morgan skippered his side to Cricket World Cup 50-over success in 2019, before falling short in the semi-finals of the T20 edition of the world competition in 2021.

The 36-year-old stepped down from his role in June, allowing Jos Buttler to take charge of the white-ball sides, and England triumphed in their captain's first tournament at the helm.

A five-wicket victory with six balls remaining over Pakistan in the final means England are now dual white-ball world champions, with Morgan suggesting Buttler's side have cemented their place in history.

"This team deserves it," Morgan said on Sky Sports. "They've been through the mill in the group stages and they've produced close to their very best against India in the semi-final.

"Jos Buttler said, 'We don't want to be known as a team just for our style of play'. We were known like that in 50 overs then won the 50-over World Cup in 2019.

"In T20 they've now won something tangible to be regarded as one of the great sides. They were excellent."

Ben Stokes, as has been the case across multiple formats in recent years, proved to be the hero with an unbeaten 52, seeing England over the line after they were reeling at 45-3 chasing 138.

From Headingley in the Ashes in 2019, to his Lord's heroics in the Cricket World Cup final earlier that year, Morgan heralded Stokes as the man for the big occasion.

"Ben is just such a special player," Morgan added. "In big games he continues to stand up for his country when his country needs him. That is such an incredible skill to have.

"When something has the potential to go awry, Ben is the guy that thinks coolly and calmly under pressure and makes brilliant decisions. He's done it so many times now.

"At certain stages of my captaincy I did take it [Stokes' role] for granted because he continued to be able to produce under pressure all the time.

"He always wants to be in the game and is that player who continually nags you to get in the high-pressure moments. It's a complete luxury to have a guy like Ben Stokes at your disposal."

While Stokes became just the third player to score 50-plus runs in both an ODI World Cup and T20 World Cup final (also Gautam Gambhir and Kumar Sangakkara), Sam Curran played an important role.

Left-arm seamer Curran picked up 1-12 from his four overs, marking his 13th scalp of the tournament – the second-most by a pacer in any single edition of the tournament (Dirk Nannes - 14 wickets in 2010).

"It [Curran's World Cup performance] is extraordinary," Morgan continued. "He really has been a find in all parts of the game. Jos Buttler has brought him on in the powerplay, used him through the middle and the biggest plus has been his death bowling.

"He has really stood up and bowled with a huge amount of skill and clarity. To produce in a World Cup final is extraordinary from someone that young. When his team needed him, Sam Curran did it today."

Babar Azam was left frustrated after key bowler Shaheen Afridi was forced off with injury in Pakistan's T20 World Cup final defeat to England on Sunday.

Babar's men set England just 138 to win, but Afridi struck early to dismiss England opener Alex Hales before making a superb catch to remove Harry Brook off Shadab Khan's bowling, stirring Pakistan's hopes of victory.

However, Afridi injured himself in his role in Brook's wicket and was forced off the field, and though he did return, the 22-year-old managed just one delivery before having to make way again.

It was a bitter blow for Pakistan, who seemingly lost all momentum as Ben Stokes' half-century and some crucial boundaries from Moeen Ali condemned them to a heartbreaking defeat.

Babar pointed to Afridi's injury as the key moment, saying in the post-match presentation: "We were 20 runs short, but the fight to the last over was unbelievable.

"Our bowling is one of the best but unfortunately Shaheen's injury cost us a different result, but that's part of the game.

"The way the team has gone in the last four matches [was] incredible. I told the boys to play their natural game, with freedom. Congratulations to England."

The final defeat ended a disappointing individual tournament for Babar, who finished with a total run tally of 124 off 133 balls, while facing 62 dot balls as he passed 50 just once across his seven innings.

But the Pakistan captain was pleased with his team's campaign, despite his own struggles, adding in his press conference: "We weren't expecting to lose the first two.

"But how we've come back, grabbed chances, I'm proud of the team as a captain."