England captain Jos Buttler will miss the three-match T20 series against Australia due to a calf problem.

Buttler has not played since the T20 World Cup semi-final defeat to India on June 27, sustaining the injury in training for The Hundred, forcing him to sit out of the entire competition.

He was due to be back for England's T20I series but has suffered a setback, which also makes him a doubt for the five one-day internationals that follow.

Phil Salt will lead the side for the first time in Buttler's absence, with Surrey all-rounder Jamie Overton called up to the squad as his replacement.

Should Buttler also miss the ODIs, which start on September 19, Harry Brook will be the stand-in captain, with Essex batter Jordan Cox added to the group as cover.

The T20I series is England's first white-ball assignment since the World Cup, with head coach Matthew Mott since leaving his role.

Marcus Trescothick will take charge of his first game on Wednesday as interim head coach, with Test coach Brendon McCullum set to take charge of the limited-overs sides in a combined role which will begin in January.

Travis Head smashed 80 runs off just 25 balls as Australia romped to a seven-wicket win over Scotland in the first of three T20Is at the Grange. 

Having been put in to bat by visiting skipper Mitchell Marsh, Scotland set Australia a target of 155 for victory, with opener George Munsey top scoring with 28 runs.

Sean Abbott finished with figures of 3-39 while Xavier Barlett and Adam Zampa managed two wickets apiece for Australia, who needed just 10 overs to get over the line.

Head hit 12 fours – as many as the entire Scotland team combined – and five sixes to ensure the visitors avoided any real pressure despite debutant Jake Fraser-McGurk being caught for a duck by Charlie Cassell early on.

Head's wicket was one of two scalped by Mark Watt in the seventh over but Australia were well on their way to victory by that point, with Josh Inglis (27) and Marcus Stoinis (8) finishing things off in composed fashion.

The second T20I takes place on Friday, with Scotland attempting to force a decider for the final contest the following day.

Data Debrief: Travis head and shoulders above the rest

Head's superb knock was the key for Australia, who needed less than half their allocated balls to bring up their target of 155, but he may be frustrated at missing out on a first T20I century.

His best figure in the format remains a knock of 91 in a victory over South Africa in Durban last year.

Cricket West Indies (CWI) has announced the appointment of Rupert Hunter as its new Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), marking a pivotal moment for the organization. Hunter, who most recently served as Head of Brand Partnerships at the International Cricket Council (ICC), will officially assume his new role in October, based at CWI's headquarters in Coolidge Cricket Ground, Antigua.

 Hunter brings with him an impressive 24 years of experience in the sports industry, having held senior roles at some of the world's top sports and entertainment agencies. His career includes significant stints at global firms such as Bates Worldwide Advertising, World Sport Group, Havas Sports, IMG Media, and Six Nations Rugby. During his tenure at the ICC, Hunter was instrumental in driving global sponsorships and partnerships, making him a valuable addition to CWI's leadership team.

 Mrs. Debra Coryat-Patton, Independent Director and Chair of the Human Capital & Recruitment Committee, expressed her enthusiasm for Hunter's appointment. "We're excited to welcome Rupert Hunter as our new Chief Commercial Officer. After a thorough selection process, Rupert emerged as the top choice for this very critical role. His global outlook is vital for building strong international partnerships, and he’ll be tasked with driving revenue growth and expanding our fan base in the Caribbean and beyond. With his extensive experience, we’re confident Rupert will hit the ground running and make a significant impact."

 For Hunter, joining CWI represents an opportunity to further build on the region's rich cricketing legacy. "The opportunity to join Cricket West Indies, after hosting an outstanding T20 World Cup tournament, and to re-immerse myself in the world of international cricket is very exciting. West Indies cricket has a very meaningful heritage as well as global appeal, and so I look forward to realizing the full commercial potential of the brand, the teams, and the organization in the months ahead," Hunter said.

 In his new role, Hunter will oversee CWI's Commercial, Marketing, and Communications Department, working closely with newly appointed Communication and Media Manager, Nyssa Pierre. This marks a significant strengthening of the senior executive team as CWI continues its strategic restructuring to improve overall efficiency and performance.

 Hunter's extensive background and international experience are expected to bring fresh perspectives and commercial acumen to West Indies cricket, a sport deeply embedded in the region's cultural fabric. With this new addition to the leadership team, CWI looks set to bolster its commercial portfolio while expanding its reach and influence both in the Caribbean and on the global stage.

England will hand a debut to bowler Josh Hull for their third Test against Sri Lanka.

Hull, who was in the squad for the second Test at Lord's, has been included in the team for the final match at The Oval.

The 20-year-old left-arm seamer has replaced Matthew Potts.

England are 2-0 up in the series, having won by five wickets at Old Trafford before triumphing by 190 runs at Lord's.

Saint Lucia Kings continued their impressive start to the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) with a dominant seven-wicket victory over Antigua & Barbuda Falcons Tuesday night.

Chasing 143 in Antigua, captain Faf du Plessis got the Kings off to a flier before they romped to the target with 18 balls to spare. It was a far less eventful chase for Kings than their remarkable season opening win over St Kitts & Nevis Patriots. But it was more heartache for the Falcons, who suffered a fourth straight defeat in their debut season. The home side were unable to capitalize on a promising start from new opening partners Fakhar Zaman and Justin Greaves as their innings fell away after the PowerPlay.

Left-arm spinner Noor Ahmad starred with 3-18 to restrict Falcons to a modest 142-7 - the lowest total in the CPL this season. Assistant coach Curtly Ambrose provided a passionate rallying cry for his team, but the Falcons attack struggled against the Kings' firepower as opener Johnson Charles anchored the innings with an unbeaten 47 off 46 balls.

A desperate Falcons had been sent in to bat in windy conditions. Greaves, in his season debut, tried to provide a tonic and smashed a second ball boundary while Zaman soon found his rhythm with a stunning straight six off seamer Matthew Forde. But their blossoming 35-run partnership was broken when Zaman was well caught by a running Khary Pierre, who shortly afterwards clean bowled Kofi James.

Pierre continued to be part of the action when he caught a skier from Greaves, who fell on 36 after he gamely tried to hit into the breeze.

The Falcons were shackled by disciplined bowling in the middle overs, unable to hit boundaries as their innings flamed out.

Du Plessis made batting look easy and whacked quick Shamar Springer for three boundaries and a six in the second over. He smashed 28 in his first 11 deliveries before falling in the first over from spinner Imad Wasim.

The wicket of du Plessis and a brief rain delay at North Sound did not stop Kings' momentum as Charles and Bhanuka Rajapaksa bludgeoned monstrous sixes. Captain Chris Green took it upon himself to revive the Falcons with the wicket of Rajapaksa in the eighth over.

But in Green's next over when he dropped a return chance to reprieve Ackeem Auguste on the last ball before drinks. A rampant Tim Seifert finished off the match in style with a six as Kings made an early season statement.

Scotland all-rounder Michael Leask is confident they can claim a historic series win over Australia in their three T20Is in Edinburgh.

Scotland have never beaten Australia in any format, though they came close to a stunning upset in the group stage of the T20 World Cup in June, eventually losing out by five wickets.

The Scots also looked set to upset at-the-time reigning champions England in the tournament, only to be denied the chance by torrential rain as the match was abandoned.

Given a rare opportunity to face one of cricket's powerhouses outside global events, Leask is keen to prove that Scotland have what it takes to go up against the big teams.

"It's lovely to have Australia on our home patch, especially for three games," Leask told BBC Scotland.

"It's an exciting opportunity for our guys, given what happened at the World Cup and how close we came.

"We've got a very exciting squad that’s ready for the challenge - it is going to be a challenge - they are some of the best in the world for a reason, but they are on our home patch.

"We're targeting a series win and that would be the icing on the cake of what has been a very good summer."

Meanwhile, despite being firm favourites to win the series, Australia captain Mitchell Marsh is not going to take anything for granted against Scotland.

Marsh is leading a new-look Australia side, with Matthew Wade and the now-retired David Warner unable to be called on.

Despite their strong record against Scotland, he believes they will be in for a tough test at The Grange.

"Scotland were well drilled [at the World Cup], certainly up for the challenge, and it was a great game of cricket," Marsh said. "I'm sure there will be more of that over the next few days.

"It's spoken about it a lot, but Scotland are a good cricket team, and they have improved a lot.

"The more cricket that teams like Scotland can play against the bigger nations, the better it is for the world game.

"It's our responsibility as players to keep growing the game, so I certainly hope they get more opportunities over the next period of time."

The first of the three T20Is will take place on Wednesday.

Trinidad and Tobago are champions of the 2024 Cricket West Indies Rising Stars Men’s Under-17 50-overs Championship.

With rain ruining their game against Barbados at Inshan Ali Park, Monday’s no result meant that the local squad are the champions.

T&T claimed the title with a record of three victories with two no results, after their fifth and final round match against Barbados was a washout.

Barbados concluded their campaign with two wins, with their three other games ending in with no results in the heavily rain-affected tournament. The entire second round was washed out by rain.

On Monday, the Brendan Boodoo-captained T&T squad batted first and tallied a relatively substantial 159 all out in 46.4 overs.

Christian Lall top-scored with a 57-ball 46 and received solid support from skipper Boodoo, who made 30 off 57 balls, including four boundaries.

Darrius Batoosingh chipped in with a valuable 29 from 56 balls, counting four fours.

Zachary Carty was the main wicket-taker for the Bajans, bagging 4-20.

In their turn at the crease, Barbados were 28-1 off five overs when rain forced the players off the field. The match was eventually called off.

And at the National Cricket Centre in Couva, there was also a no result after Guyana batted first, compiling 171 from 40.5 overs against the Leeward Islands.

Openers Vikash Wilkinson (34) and Rampersaud Ramnauth (31) led the way for the Guyanese while Romario Ramdeholl contributed 23.

For the Leewards, Isra-el Morton was the main man with the ball with 3-44, while Jaheem Kevaughn Clarke and Micah McKenzie took 2-20 and 2-24, respectively.

In yesterday’s other scheduled fixture, between Jamaica and the Windward Islands, at Gilbert Park, in California, the match was abandoned without a ball being bowled.

Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto was lost for words after they claimed a historic series victory over Pakistan on day five of the second Test.

They wrapped up the 2-0 series sweep, reaching the target of 185 runs on Tuesday, having bowled Pakistan out for 172 on day four, with Hasan Mahmud and Nahid Rana taking nine wickets between them.

At one point, it looked like victory was out of Bangladesh's reach, at least until Liton Das inspired a stunning comeback on day three with a stand on 138.

It is the first time that Bangladesh have ever recorded a series success over Pakistan, while it was just their third Test series win on foreign soil.

And Shanto was in disbelief when they finally clinched the victory.

"We can't express feelings with words, we are really happy," said Najmul.

"I think before we came here, we're looking to win, and the way everyone did their job made me really happy."

"Our bowlers were very impressive. I hope they will do the same against India as well, which will be a very challenging series."

Meanwhile, Pakistan are now on a run of 10 Tests without a win on home soil and have lost all five of their Tests with Shan Masood as their captain.

With this defeat following a 3-0 series whitewash at the hands of Australia earlier this year, Masood was left frustrated by the continued mistakes his team were making.

"We haven't learnt our lessons," he said.

"We could have bowled them, especially after 26-6 down here, but we let them back in the game.

"I think now it's time where we've realised that we were playing good cricket in Australia and not finishing games. That's something that we really need to work on.

"You always learn from your mistakes, and you try and give people a chance, and in this regard, we are in the right direction."

Brendon McCullum has been announced as England's new men's white-ball head coach, and will combine that role with his existing Test duties.

McCullum, who has signed a three-year contract to perform the role, replaces Australian Matthew Mott, who stepped down after this year's T20 World Cup.

The 42-year-old will oversee the next 50-over World Cup in South Africa, while also guiding the Test squad all the way through to England's next home Ashes campaign.

The ECB have described the move as part of a strategic restructure for the senior side, with McCullum officially beginning his twin tenure in January 2025. 

England's interim head coach Marcus Trescothick will continue in his role for the white-ball tour of the Caribbean in November, with McCullum's first assignment a tour of India before February's Champions Trophy in Pakistan.

McCullum will become the first England men's coach since his Test predecessor, Chris Silverwood, to oversee both the red and white-ball squads.

Since taking charge of a Test side that had won one of its previous 17 Tests, McCullum has instilled a fearless brand of cricket, which has seen England win 19 of their 28 Tests since.

Under the New Zealander, England's Test team scored 4.57 runs per over on average, compared to 3.09 in their 29 Tests previously.

Having overseen a dramatic turnaround for the Test team alongside captain Ben Stokes, McCullum says he is "energised" by the prospect of signing a new contract that increases the scope of his role. 

“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time with the Test team, and I’m excited to extend my role to include the white-ball sides," McCullum said. 

"This challenge is something I’m ready to embrace, and I’m eager to work closely with Jos [Buttler] and the team to build on the strong foundations that are already in place.

“Rob Key’s vision for the future of English cricket is something that really resonated with me. The idea of a unified coaching structure, especially with the schedule easing next year, made perfect sense.

"I’m energised by the prospect of guiding both teams and am grateful for the support from the ECB and my family as I take on these added responsibilities.

“The talent within English cricket is immense, and I’m looking forward to helping these players reach their full potential.

"My goal is to create an environment where everyone can thrive and where we can continue to compete at the highest level across all formats.”

After the Test series ends against Sri Lanka at The Oval next week, McCullum will take a short break at home in New Zealand before joining the red-ball team for their winter tour of Pakistan in October and the three-match series against New Zealand.

Ollie Pope is shutting out criticism of his performance as stand-in England captain as they look to complete a 3-0 series sweep over Sri Lanka at The Oval this week.

Deputising for injured skipper Ben Stokes, Pope has led the team to victories at Old Trafford and Lord's to leave them on the verge of a perfect red-ball summer. 

Pope previously played a starring role with 239 runs in a 3-0 whitewash of West Indies, yet his individual form has dipped dramatically in the Sri Lanka series.

He has failed to make more than 17 runs in any of his four innings as captain, recording single figures on three occasions, while he has also been criticised for his use of DRS with a total of eight reviews going against him during the series.

However, Pope has revealed one major piece of advice he received from Stokes ahead of the series was to ignore outside noise and concentrate purely on the spirit within the team.

"Chatting to Stokesy before this series, when you're captain, you're going to attract a lot more attention and it's just important to block it all out and stay close with the people around you," Pope said.

"There are a lot of voices who want to have their say, a lot of past cricketers as well, and that's fine and everyone is entitled to their opinion.

"But it's important for me to keep trusting the people inside these four walls because that's going to help me get back into my best form.

"Sometimes when you have two bad games it can almost feel a lot worse than it is because of the noise which surrounds it. 

"For me, it's about trying to stay as level as I can, keep trusting the noise around it, put my work in and not really overthink it."

The third Test gets under way on Friday, with England targeting a fifth straight series whitewash of the tourists. Sri Lanka's last Test win over England came in Galle in 2012, in a home series that was drawn 1-1.

Bangladesh sealed a historic series victory in Pakistan by cruising over the finish line on day five of the second Test in Rawalpindi on Tuesday.

Only bad light and rain prevented Bangladesh from wrapping up a 2-0 series success on day four after they bowled Pakistan out for 172, Hasan Mahmud and Nahid Rana taking nine wickets between them.

Having resumed at 42 without loss, the tourists saw Zakir Hasan bowled clean by Mir Hamza for 40 early on, before Shadman Islam was caught by Shan Masood for 24 five overs later.

However, Pakistan's early wickets only delayed the inevitable as Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto (38) and Mominul Haque (34) took up the mantle to push them closer to their target.

Abdullah Shafique took a great catch at short leg to account for the former while Abrar Ahmed's ball saw the latter caught by Saim Ayub, but Bangladesh were already within 30 runs of victory by that point and would not be denied. 

The experienced duo of Mushfiqur Rahim (22) and Shakib Al Hasan (21) were able to wrap things up serenely for the tourists, extending Pakistan's miserable winless run on home soil to 10 Tests.

Data Debrief: Rare overseas success for Bangladesh

Bangladesh had never previously recorded a series success over Pakistan, making the calm fashion in which they batted their way to victory on Tuesday all the more impressive.

The victory was just their fourth Test win on foreign soil in the last seven years, and this is only the third Test series they have ever won on their travels.

Their only previous series triumphs on foreign soil came versus West Indies in 2009 and in Zimbabwe three years ago.

Trinidadian and West Indies batter Nicholas Pooran has etched his name in the history books by breaking Chris Gayle's long-standing record for the most sixes hit in a calendar year in T20 cricket. Pooran, known for his explosive batting, reached this milestone during the 2024 Caribbean Premier League (CPL) while playing for the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots.

Pooran’s record-breaking moment came when he struck the sixth of his nine sixes during a blistering 43-ball 97 against the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, taking his tally to 139 sixes in 2024. This incredible achievement surpassed the previous record of 135 sixes set by Chris Gayle in 2015.

Pooran’s six-hitting spree in 2024 has been nothing short of extraordinary. He has hit 139 sixes off 1145 balls, averaging a six every 8.23 deliveries. While Gayle had a slightly better rate of 7.50 balls per six in 2015, Pooran's consistency over 57 innings—compared to Gayle’s 36—highlights the sustained nature of his power-hitting.

A deeper dive into Pooran's numbers reveals his dominance, especially against pace. Out of his 139 sixes, 92 came against fast bowlers, setting a new record for the most sixes against pace in a calendar year. This is significantly higher than Gayle’s 68 sixes against pacers in 2015. Pooran has averaged a six every 8.65 balls against seamers, while spinners have fared slightly worse, with Pooran sending one over the ropes every 7.43 deliveries.

Pooran has also excelled across different phases of the innings. He smashed 79 sixes during the middle overs (7th to 16th), breaking yet another record previously held by Gayle, who hit 71 sixes in that phase in 2012. Additionally, Pooran hit 32 sixes at the death, averaging a six every 6.22 balls, and 28 in the powerplay, at a rate of 8.14 balls per six.

The 2024 season saw Pooran distribute his sixes across multiple tournaments. He hit the most in the IPL, with 36 sixes, followed by 34 in T20 Internationals, 31 in the ILT20, and 19 in The Hundred. Pooran’s consistency across these formats and leagues underscores his status as one of the most destructive batters in T20 cricket.

Four bowlers were particularly tormented by Pooran’s power-hitting, with each conceding four sixes to him in 2024: Dominic Drakes, Nandre Burger, Rashid Khan, and Sikandar Raza.

With 551 sixes in T20 cricket, Pooran now stands as the fourth-highest six-hitter in the format, trailing only his fellow West Indians Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard, and Andre Russell. Pooran’s remarkable feat in 2024 not only solidifies his place among the game's greats but also further cements the Caribbean’s legacy in T20 cricket.

For the first time since the 2022 season, Deandra Dottin will be a part of Australia’s Women’s Big Bash League after being selected by the Melbourne Renegades in the player draft on Sunday.

The Renegades will be the fourth WBBL franchise Dottin has represented in her career after previous stints with the Perth Scorchers, Brisbane Heat and Adelaide Strikers.

Dottin, who was recently selected in the West Indies squad for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup set for October 3-20 in the UAE, will be reunited with Windies teammate Hayley Matthews with the Melbourne-based franchise.

Matthews will be looking to rebound from a tough 2023 season with the bat for the Renegades by her standards where she scored 255 runs in 14 innings at an average of 19.61 with no fifties and a highest score of 46.

She was better with the ball, taking 14 wickets at an average of 27.64.

The 2024 WBBL will run from October 26 to November 30.

The Renegades will play their first game against the Sydney Sixers on October 27 at the Adelaide Oval.

West Indians Shai Hope and Sherfane Rutherford were among a number of players selected by various franchises in the player draft for the 2024-25 edition of Australia’s premier T20 showcase, the Big Bash League, on Sunday.

Hope, picked in the BBL draft for the first time, will represent the Hobart Hurricanes.

He was their pick in the platinum category, with the influence of head coach Ricky Ponting, who was Hope’s coach at the Delhi Capitals in the 2024 IPL.

Rutherford, who will also be experiencing the Big Bash for the first time, was selected by the Sydney Thunder in the silver category.

All-rounder Fabian Allen was snapped up in the silver category by the Adelaide Strikers while Akeal Hosein, who took 15 wickets in 10 games for the Melbourne Renegades last season, will be representing the Sydney Sixers this time around as one of their pre-draft signings.

Barbados-born England all-rounder Jacob Bethell is also set for his first BBL stint after being selected by the Melbourne Renegades.

The 2024-25 Big Bash League will run from December 15 to January 26.

Hasan Mahmud and Nahid Rana took nine wickets between them as Bangladesh bowled out Pakistan for 172 in the second innings of the second Test on Monday. 

Given a target of 185 for the victory, the visitors cruised to 42 without loss after seven overs before bad light and subsequent rain halted proceedings at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

After starting the day 9-2, Pakistan saw Saim Ayub removed by Taskin Ahmed (1-40) before Rana ripped through the hosts' batting order, claiming the wickets of Shan Masood (28), Babar Azam (11) and Saud Shakeel (two) in four overs.

Mohammad Rizwan's 43 from 73 deliveries threatened to bring Pakistan back into the contest, only for Mahmud to claim successive wickets in the 36th over before removing Mir Hamza (four) to conclude a dominant session for Bangladesh.

Zakir Hasan and Shadman Islam wasted no time in setting a swift pace in the chase, with the former striking 31 runs from the 23 balls he faced, including two sixes and two fours before the weather closed in.

The pair will return to the crease on Tuesday needing 143 runs for a memorable series victory.

Data Debrief: Rana and Mahmud roar Tigers close

Rana's figures of 4-44 were his best for Bangladesh, with their bowling display the first time in the tourists' Test history that all ten wickets were picked up by fast bowlers.

Mahmud also impressed, claiming his first five-wicket haul in just his third Test outing for Bangladesh.