England pace bowler Mark Wood will undergo a second operation on an elbow injury as he bids to recover in time for the T20 World Cup later this year.

Wood underwent surgery on his right elbow in March after sustaining the injury during the first Test of the red-ball side's tour of the West Indies.

It was originally hoped the 32-year-old would return within three months, but he was taken out of consideration for Durham's Vitality Blast game against Notts Outlaws on July 1 before suffering an adverse reaction after featuring for home club Ashington on Saturday.

Speaking to the BBC's Test Match Special, Wood expressed his frustration at the injury, which comes as another blow to England with Jofra Archer, Chris Woakes, Saqib Mahmood, Ollie Robinson and Matt Fisher also sidelined.

"It's not going well actually," Wood said. "I'm off again for probably more surgery on Saturday. 

"I played a club game to see what it was like when I tested it out, so unfortunately it's not pulled up well. 

"To be ready for the World Cup, I'm going to have to get that done.

"I've been bowling for the last two or three weeks in the nets, top speed also off my full run-up. But it just seems to keep deteriorating. 

 

"When I played that club game it was an indication in a match of how does it actually feel. The next day… I can straighten my left arm fully, but my right arm is still sort of bent a little bit.

"It's crunch week this week. That's why I've been building it up so much. But this week it needed a decision, so that's why I played the club cricket. 

"Unfortunately it hasn't been good. The frustration for me is I've done everything everyone has asked. It's just not giving me a break."

Wood has taken 26 wickets in 19 T20I outings since making his England debut in 2015, with his last appearance in the format coming against New Zealand last November in their T20 World Cup semi-final defeat.

England's next T20 World Cup campaign begins against Afghanistan on October 22 in Perth.

Ben Stokes hopes his ODI retirement will prolong his Test career, as he reiterated his belief the current schedule makes it "unsustainable" for him to continue in all three formats.

Stokes, who has won his first four Tests since taking over as England's red-ball captain, will make his final ODI appearance against South Africa at Durham on Tuesday.

The all-rounder was instrumental in England's crowning achievement in the format, producing a remarkable 84 not out and registering eight in an enthralling Super Over to steer the side to victory in the 2019 World Cup final against New Zealand.

The 31-year-old will play his 105th ODI against the Proteas, having averaged 39.44 runs and taken a total of 74 wickets across his previous 104 outings in the format.

Speaking to Nasser Hussain for Sky Sports ahead of his one-day swansong, Stokes shed further light on his decision to focus on Test and Twenty20 cricket.

"It was a number of things, I think the schedule, everything that's expected of us these days is just, for me... it feels unsustainable," he said.

"It was actually after the first one-day game [against India last week], one person I spoke to [said] probably the best thing that was said to me, which was, 'if there's any doubt, there's no doubt'.

"As I said in my statement, this England shirt deserves 100 per cent of whoever wears it, and unfortunately, I didn't like the feeling of not being able to contribute in the way that I want to be able to. As an all-rounder I want to contribute with the bat, I want to contribute with the ball.

"Also [I didn't like the feeling of] stopping someone else being able to progress in this format for England, who I know is desperate to go out there and able to give the captain and the coach 100 per cent of themselves.

"When I thought about it long and hard and realised I don't think I can do that in all three formats after how the body felt after the Test series, it was easy, knowing that I can't go out there and give my all."

Stokes, who has made 83 Test appearances for his country, revealed giving up one of the white-ball formats to prolong his career was something he had considered for some time.

But he admitted he struggled to choose between ODI and T20 cricket, adding: "Yeah, it was never going to be an easy one.

"I always knew that at some point, I'd have to choose one of the white-ball formats to continue with, I just didn't know which one.

"After that one-day game, it just hit me in the face. I had a quick chat with Jos [Buttler] after the game and said if the game was in a different situation, I would've carried on bowling.

"Now, being the captain of the Test team, and with how much cricket we've got coming up, I've also got to bear in mind that I've got to look after my body because I want to play as long as I possibly can. 

"I look at the way Jimmy and Broady's careers have gone when they stopped playing white-ball cricket, and that's what I want to do. I want to play 140 or 150 Test matches for England.

"It's come a lot earlier than I would have liked it to, at 31 years of age, to give one of the formats up, but there's longevity that I've thought about.

"Hopefully when I'm 35 or 36 and still playing Test cricket and T20 cricket, I can look back on this decision and say I'm very happy with the decision I made."

Jonny Bairstow has been recalled to England's T20I squad for the series against South Africa as Ben Stokes takes a rest, while Matthew Potts has landed a maiden ODI call-up.

Bairstow enjoyed run-laden Test outings against New Zealand and India but was rested for the three-match T20I series against Rohit Sharma's side, who defeated England 2-1.

The Yorkshire batter kept his spot in the ODI squad for the series against India, which is finely poised at 1-1 ahead of the decider at Old Trafford, and will now feature again in the shortest format against South Africa.

England Test captain Stokes is another in action against India, but he has been omitted from the T20I squad to face South Africa in an effort to manage his workload and will also miss domestic limited-overs competition The Hundred.

Adil Rashid is back in both white-ball squads after missing the India clashes due to undertaking the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, while Potts is part of England's 15-man 50-over squad for the first time.

Potts impressed with his bowling in the five-day outings against India and New Zealand, and he will join Durham team-mates Stokes and Brydon Carse for the ODI series, which starts at Chester-le-Street on Tuesday.

Reece Topley is another named in both squads after his 6-24 at Lord's on Thursday, taking England's record ODI bowling figures, and will hope to boost his hopes of featuring at the T20 World Cup in November.

Buttler's ODI side will head to Old Trafford and Headingley to conclude their three-match tussle against the Proteas, before the T20I series starts in Bristol on July 27.

Richard Gleeson is again included in the squad for the shortest format, having dismissed India trio Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant on his debut at Edgbaston.

Harry Brook is another who will look to stake his claim to take Eoin Morgan's spot in the T20I side's middle order, with the three-match T20I series heading to Cardiff on July 28 before concluding at the Ageas Bowl three days later.


England ODI squad: Buttler, Moeen Ali, Bairstow, Carse, Curran, Livingstone, Overton, Potts, Rashid, Root, Roy, Salt, Stokes, Topley, Willey.

England T20I squad: Buttler, Moeen Ali, Bairstow, Brook, Curran, Gleeson, Jordan, Livingstone, Malan, Rashid, Roy, Salt, Topley, Willey.

India stars Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah have been rested for the upcoming five-match T20I series against West Indies.

Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, who has the most wickets for India in the shortest format (79), is another key figure rested for the series, which starts on July 29 in Trinidad.

Kohli missed the opening ODI against England due to an apparent groin strain, with reports suggesting he had requested to be left out of the following limited-overs tour against the West Indies.

The 33-year-old has not scored a century in any format of cricket since November 2019, last doing so when he scored 136 in a Test against Bangladesh at Eden Gardens, leading to questions over his form.

Kohli is thought to still be in India's plans for the upcoming T20 World Cup in Australia, though Rohit Sharma's side will do without the batter for the next series after naming their 18-man squad.

Kuldeep Yadav and KL Rahul are both set to return from injuries, subject to fitness, with Ravichandran Ashwin joining a spin department that already includes Ravi Bishnoi, Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja.

Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant were rested for the ODI series against West Indies, which precedes the T20I clashes, but are in the squad for the fixtures in the shortest format.

Meanwhile, Arshdeep Singh was preferred ahead of quick Umran Malik in the pace bowling department, which includes Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan and Harshal Patel.

India T20I squad in full: Rohit Sharma (c), Ishan Kishan, KL Rahul (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Shreyas Iyer, Dinesh Karthik, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav*, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan, Harshal Patel, Arshdeep Singh.

*Inclusion of KL Rahul and Kuldeep Yadav is subject to fitness.

England cricketing great Kevin Pietersen has likened the controversial LIV Golf International Series to the formation of the Indian Premier League and hopes golf can soon settle its differences.

Pietersen was no stranger to controversy as a talented multi-format player, with his commitment to England questioned after the inaugural IPL, when lucrative T20 franchise cricket was born.

The South Africa-born batter captained England for just three Tests and 12 ODIs before his resignation and ultimately announced his international retirement in 2012 after scheduling disagreements – only to soon return.

Pietersen reportedly took issue with the strain put on players by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), with their involvement in franchise cricket around the world limited.

The 42-year-old, who suggested English players were jealous of those offered lucrative IPL contracts, spent the latter stages of his career in various domestic leagues, appearing in tournaments across India, Australia, Pakistan and the Caribbean.

Having been bought for a whopping £1.1million by Royal Challengers Bangalore for the second edition of the then-controversial IPL in 2009, Pietersen remains aware of the potential for differences of opinion when it comes to new beginnings in sport.

LIV Golf has come under intense scrutiny, with vocal opponents criticising the Saudi-backed breakaway league, which offers lucrative prize funds that the PGA Tour is yet to compete with.

Ten major champions have defected to LIV Golf, leaving a cloud hanging over the final major of the year, The Open Championship, where the R&A has allowed breakaway players to feature despite their PGA Tour bans.

Pietersen, speaking after playing the Old Course, St Andrews ahead of The 150th Open on Monday, hopes the issues between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour will soon be resolved.

"I don't really have a take on it because it doesn't matter what I think," he said. 

"But having been part of the Indian Premier League and franchise cricket around the world, I think eventually – and I hope – that everything just merges and everybody lives as one happy family in the future.

"Sport is such a unifying thing. It unifies people, it unifies countries, unifies teams, and the ability to make it into something great is important.

"So, I just hope that for the greater good of the sport, things happen in the next few years. Clearly, there was going to be an outcry at the start by certain people in certain countries. 

"But let's hope that in two, three years' time, golf is celebrated for the great game that it is."

Pietersen has been offered the chance to play at St Andrews before the major starts and believes the short distance of the course may offer the injury-hampered Tiger Woods a chance of success.

"These guys are just so special. I mean, they are quite something when they perform to the calibre of performances that we see these kinds of freak shows," he added.

"[Xander] Schauffele comes in with great form, having won three times in the last three weeks or so. Louis [Oosthuizen] as well, he won, and then he got a runner-up.

"I think you come in here with experience and – you can relate it back to cricket – there are certain grounds in the world that you go to [where] you think, 'Okay, I have a real good chance here because I know this place. I love this place and I know how to bat here.'

"So I think, in terms of golf, there will be a few players that say, 'Yep, I know this place. I like this place'. 

"Maybe even Tiger, this is not a hard walk; we walked it yesterday, this is a very easy walk. For him to be able to turn up here, show that dedication and commitment months ago towards this tournament... you never know.

"We played next to him yesterday, and he played in front of us. There's a crazy sound that comes off the back when he hits, it's very special."

England limited-overs coach Matthew Mott admitted his side must be "braver" for the T20 World Cup after being caught by surprise by the aggressive intent of India.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jos Buttler hailed an "incredible" knock from India's Suryakumar Yadav after earning his first victory as England captain, with the hosts clinging on for a consolation win in the third T20I at Trent Bridge.

England held on despite Yadav scoring a terrific 117 off 55 balls, falling just one run short of matching India's best ever showing in the format – Rohit Sharma's 118 against Sri Lanka in 2017 – as Buttler's men clawed back some pride at the end of a 2-1 series defeat.

They were indebted to Dawid Malan's 77 as they racked up 215-7 for their highest ever T20I score against India and a first win since Eoin Morgan's international retirement.

While Buttler was delighted with England's response with the bat after they were bowled out for just 148 and 121 in the first two matches of the series, he reserved his highest praise for India star Yadav.

"It was good fun, a fantastic game of cricket, much more like we're used to seeing from our side," Buttler told Sky Sports. "I was really pleased with the response with the bat especially.

"It was an incredible knock from Suryakumar, one of the best hundreds I've seen, and he put us under a lot of pressure.

"The guys bowled really well at the end there. I was pleased to see [Richard] Gleeson back up another performance, CJ [Chris Jordan]'s been excellent all series, so I'm delighted for those guys."

England's Reece Topley was named player of the match after claiming three wickets but was also keen to lavish praise on India's best performer.

"I was speechless at some of the shots, they were unbelievable. He looks a hell of a player," Topley said.

"I've not come across him too much, so I was just in awe most of the time, to be honest."

After watching Yadav come agonisingly close to matching his own record T20I total, Rohit was delighted with the 31-year-old's performance in a thrilling chase.

"It was a fantastic chase, and we are proud of our fight," Rohit said.

"Suryakumar Yadav was magnificent to watch. I have been watching him for a while, and he loves this format, he is unorthodox and has a wide range of shots. 

"He never lets the tempo go. He has grown as player and is going from strength to strength."

Jos Buttler secured the first win of his tenure as England captain as the hosts clung on for a 17-run triumph over India in a thrilling third T20I at Trent Bridge. 

Dawid Malan's rapid 77 fired the much-improved hosts to 215-7, a huge tally which India looked capable of reaching after the outstanding Suryakumar Yadav scored 117 off just 55 balls.

But Reece Topley (3-22) claimed three wickets as England held off India's chase to record a morale-boosting triumph, their first since Eoin Morgan's international retirement.

Looking to recover from comprehensive back-to-back defeats, Buttler's men produced a far better performance with the bat in Nottingham as their skipper's fourth-over dismissal allowed Malan to step up for a terrific 39-ball knock.

Losing Jason Roy (27) and Phil Salt (eight) to Umran Malik and Harshal Patel within the first 10 overs did little to stem the hosts' momentum as Liam Livingstone (42 not out) joined Malan in an 84-run partnership before India belatedly stepped up their attack in the 17th over.

Ravi Bishnoi accounted for Malan and Moeen Ali – the latter for a duck – in rapid fashion before Harry Brook (19) and Chris Jordan (11) fell, but India's bowling display fell a long way short of their scintillating outing at Edgbaston last time out as England still posted a mammoth total.

Indeed, the 13 sixes racked up by England represented their most in a T20I innings against India, and they looked set for a comfortable victory when the tourists made a dreadful start with the bat.

India lost Rishabh Pant (one), Virat Kohli (11) and Rohit Sharma (11) during a desperate first five overs, only for the imperious Yadav to drag them into contention with his first international hundred.

But Yadav's 19th-over dismissal at the hands of Ali slowed India's progress, as England clung on to end an underwhelming series on a high.

Magnificent Malan carries England

Malan's 77 – the fourth-best knock of his T20I career and his best against India – proved crucial as England racked up their highest ever score against India in the format, despite another early exit for Buttler.

Yadav falls short despite terrific haul

Yadav was incredibly unfortunate to end up on the losing side after his outstanding innings, falling just short of leading India to a remarkable chase as well as missing out on making history on an individual level. 

His 117 was just one short of the highest score ever posted by an India player in the format, with Rohit having smashed an almighty 118 off just 43 balls against Sri Lanka in December 2017.

India captain Rohit Sharma was delighted with his 'clinical' team, after they secured series victory over England with a comfortable 49-run win in the second T20 international at Edgbaston.

Sharma's team batted first and found themselves at 89-5 after Hardik Pandya was caught by Dawid Malan off the bowling of Chris Jordan.

This brought Ravindra Jadeja to the crease, and he smashed 46 runs off 26 deliveries to help India set England a total of 171 runs to win.

England's chase was quick to falter though, with Jason Roy getting out with the first ball of the innings after an impressive delivery from Bhuvneshwar Kumar was hit to slip by the opener.

The captain Jos Buttler was quick to follow after scoring only four runs, and the poor performance from England's top order was telling as they ended up all out for just 121.

Sharma was quick to praise his side after they claimed victory in the series ahead of the final game at Trent Bridge on Sunday.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Sharma commented: "We knew we were up for a challenge against them, but again we came out and were quite clinical in what we wanted to do.

"And clear-minded as well, with what we wanted to execute with the bat and with the ball as well.

"When you win games it's always nice, you feel confident. There's a lot of confidence amongst the group, which to me is quite important.

"I really wanted to see how we perform after a win, and we want to keep continuing to do that and see how we can challenge us more and more as a group."

Sharma gave particular acclaim to Jadeja after his crucial innings, adding "Jadeja with his experience, recently getting a 100 on this ground as well, he seems to be confident in what he wants to do.

"At no given point did we feel that he was panicking, given the experience that he has.

"It was good to finish off on a score which I thought was par on that pitch, and then we were quite clinical with the ball."

Shai Hope has signed for the Guyana Amazon Warriors as the draft for the 2022 season of the Caribbean Premier League was completed on Thursday.

The Jamaica Tallawahs have announced their overseas signings for the 2022 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) which gets underway on 31 August.

Left-arm seamer Mohammad Amir will be joining the Tallawahs for the first time having represented the Barbados Royals last season, claiming 11 wickets at an average of 13.54.

The other four overseas players have all had experience with the Tallawahs in the past. Nepalese leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane was with the franchise in 2020 where he took 12 wickets and went at an economy rate of just 5.27 runs an over.

Imad Wasim, Chris Green and Miguel Pretorius were all with the Tallawahs in 2021 and will return this season as overseas signings. Brandon King and Fabian Allen have also been signed by the two-time champions.

Power hitter Rovman Powell has been retained by the franchise along with Kennar Lewis and Shamarh Brooks.

The Tallawahs will have seven more spots to fill at the Hero CPL draft with details of these picks released during the draft show which will be broadcast this Thursday – 7 July – at 9am Eastern Caribbean Time.

The fixtures for the 2022 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) and the inaugural Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) have been confirmed. The tournament will visit St Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, Trinidad & Tobago and culminate in the final in Guyana.

The opening day of the tournament will see the Trinbago Knight Riders Women take on the Barbados Royals women before the current Men’s champions, St Kitts & Nevis Patriots, begin their title defence against the Jamaica Tallawahs.

The women’s CPL will feature four matches in the inaugural 2022 season in addition to the seven women’s games at the SKYEXCH 6IXTY which takes place immediately before Hero CPL.  This is 11 matches in total, representing a big step forward in the scheduling of women’s franchise cricket in the region, with plans to grow this in subsequent years.

“It is very exciting to be able to confirm the fixtures for this season with this announcement being all the more special with the WCPL taking place for the first time in 2022,” said CPL CEO Pete Russell. “We can’t wait to be back travelling around the Caribbean and we are looking forward to welcoming our wonderful fans to stadiums across the region.”

2022 CPL schedule below:

 Wednesday 31 August, 3 pm

Trinbago Knight Riders Women vs Barbados Royals Women

 

Wednesday 31 August, 7 pm

St Kitts & Nevis Patriots Men vs Jamaica Tallawahs Men

 

Thursday 1 September, 10 am

Saint Lucia Kings Men vs Trinbago Knight Riders Men

 

Thursday 1 September, 3 pm

Guyana Amazon Warriors Women vs Trinbago Knight Riders Women

 

Thursday 1 September, 7 pm

St Kitts & Nevis Patriots Men vs Barbados Royals Men

 

Saturday 3 September, 10 am

Jamaica Tallawahs Men vs Guyana Amazon Warriors Men

 

Saturday 3 September, 3 pm

Barbados Royals Women vs Guyana Amazon Warriors Women

 

Saturday 3 September, 7 pm

St Kitts & Nevis Patriots Men vs Trinbago Knight Riders Men

 

Sunday 4 September, 10 am

Barbados Royals Men vs Saint Lucia Kings Men

 

Sunday 4 September, 2:30 pm

 

WOMEN’S FINAL 

 

Sunday 4 September, 7 pm

St Kitts & Nevis Patriots Men vs Guyana Amazon Warriors Men

 

Saint Lucia

Wednesday 7 September, 10 am

Barbados Royals Men vs Trinbago Knight Riders Men

 

Wednesday 7 September, 7 pm

St Lucia Kings Men vs Jamaica Tallawahs Men

 

Thursday  8 September, 10 am

Guyana Amazon Warriors Men vs St Kitts & Nevis Patriots Men

 

Thursday  8 September, 7 pm

Saint Lucia Kings Men vs Barbados Royals Men

 

Saturday 10 September, 10 am

Jamaica Tallawahs Men vs Trinbago Knight Riders Men

 

Saturday 10 September, 7 pm

Saint Lucia Kings Men vs Guyana Amazon Warriors Men

 

Sunday 11 September, 10 am

Jamaica Tallawahs Men vs Barbados Royals Men

 

Sunday 11 September, 7 pm

Saint Lucia Kings Men vs St Kitts & Nevis Patriots Men

 

Trinidad

Tuesday 13 September, 7 pm

Trinbago Knight Riders Men vs Barbados Royals Men

 

Wednesday 14 September 10 am

Jamaica Tallawahs Men vs St Kitts & Nevis Patriots Men

 

Wednesday 14 September, 7 pm

Trinbago Knight Riders Men vs Guyana Amazon Warriors Men

 

Thursday 15 September, 10 am

Barbados Royals Men vs Jamaica Tallawahs Men

 

Saturday 17  September, 10 am

St Kitts & Nevis Patriots Men vs Saint Lucia Kings Men

 

Saturday 17  September, 7 pm

Trinbago Knight Riders Men vs Jamaica Tallawahs Men

 

Sunday 18 September, 10 am

Barbados Royals Men vs Guyana Amazon Warriors Men

 

Sunday 18 September, 7 pm

Trinbago Knight Riders Men vs Saint Lucia Kings Men

 

Guyana

Wednesday 21 September, 10 am

Barbados Royals Men vs St Kitts & Nevis Patriots Men

 

Wednesday 21 September, 7 pm

Guyana Amazon Warriors Men vs Jamaica Tallawahs Men

 

Thursday 22 September, 10 am

Trinbago Knight Riders Men vs St Kitts & Nevis Patriots Men

 

Thursday 22 September, 7 pm

Guyana Amazon Warriors Men vs Saint Lucia Kings Men

 

Saturday 24 September, 7 pm

Guyana Amazon Warriors Men vs Trinbago Knight Riders Men

 

Sunday 25 September, 10 am

 

Jamaica Tallawahs Men vs Saint Lucia Kings Men

 

Sunday 25 September, 7 pm

Guyana Amazon Warriors Men vs Barbados Royals Men

 

Tuesday 27 September, 10 am

Qualifier 1 -  1st place finisher vs 2nd place finisher

 

Tuesday 27 September, 7 pm

Eliminator – 3rd place finisher vs 4th place finisher

 

Wednesday 28 September, 7 pm

Qualifier 2 – Winner of Eliminator vs Loser of Qualifier 1

 

Friday 30 September, 7 pm

Final – Winner of Qualifier 1 vs Winner of Qualifier 2

 

 

 

India saw off a dramatic Ireland response to edge a thrilling second T20I on Tuesday as they held on for a four-run victory at Malahide.

The visitors completed a clean sweep of the two-match series thanks to a superb second-wicket stand of 176 between Sanju Samson and Deepak Hooda, eventually reaching 225-7.

That partnership proved enough to stave off what would have been a famous Irish triumph, but only by a narrow margin after skipper Andrew Balbirnie's 60 off 37 balls dragged the hosts close to victory.

With a six required for a stunning win, Mark Adair could only manage a single on the final ball to ensure India clung on in what proved a far tougher match than their blowout seven-wicket win on Sunday.

Ahead of next month's three-game tour against England, which follows this week's rearranged fifth Test match at Edgbaston, the visitors will feel they have been now suitably tested.

Samson and Hooda overcame the early loss of Ishan Kishan for three to make it a magnificent display with 77 and 104 respectively, combining for a cumulative 28 boundaries between them.

Though a flurry of late wickets looked to have checked India's stride, their total still seemed to represent a tall order for Ireland to chase, particularly after Balbirnie fell to make it 107-3 in response after 10.3 overs.

But Harry Tector (39) and George Dockrell (34) helped lead a stirring reply to take the match down to the wire, where the hosts fell agonisingly short of a historic result.

Kishan yet to lock in spot?

With three in this match and 26 on Sunday, Kishan hasn't had a two-game streak to remember - and with just one 50 in his past five T20Is, there is an argument - perhaps bizarrely - that his spot at the top of the order for this year's T20I World Cup remains in flux. The left-hander will likely be safe even with a poor run against England however, thanks to doubling as wicketkeeper.

Tector tough to touch

Harry Tector was in the mood to bat fast again, and clubbed his 39 from 28 balls, with five boundaries. It comes on the back of a standout innings in the first match, and a trio of impressive scores in February, including a half-century off 37 balls against the United Arab Emirates.

England limited-overs captain Eoin Morgan has created a "white-ball dynasty" but has chosen the right time to retire from international cricket.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

England white-ball captain Eoin Morgan is set to retire from international cricket.

Morgan is expected to announce his retirement during a press conference at Lord's on Tuesday, with vice-captain Jos Buttler poised to replace him.

The 35-year-old batter has transformed the white-ball fortunes of England since his appointment in 2014, leading his side to World Cup glory with a dramatic win over New Zealand at Lord's in 2019.

Morgan also guided England to the T20 World Cup final in 2016, before reaching the semi-finals of the same competition five years later.

While England have become a huge force in limited-overs cricket during Morgan's tenure, the left-hander has struggled with the bat in recent times.

England completed an ODI series sweep over Netherlands last week – extending their winning run to eight matches in the 50-over format – but Morgan failed to score in two matches before missing the final clash due to injury.

The Dublin-born Morgan has passed 50 just once in his past eight ODI innings since scoring 106 against Ireland in February 2020, and had vowed to step down when he felt he could no longer contribute.

England face India in a three-match T20I series starting on July 7 and are set to do so without their all-time leading run scorer in T20I and ODI cricket.

Morgan has scored 7,701 ODI runs and 2,458 runs in the shortest format at international level. His 248 ODIs and 115 T20s are also England records for appearances.

A brilliant leader and destructive batter, Morgan made his international debut for Ireland back in 2006 before committing to play for England. He played 16 Tests between 2010 and 2012.

Matthew Mott will expect England to continue playing the aggressive brand of cricket that Morgan instilled as his side go in search of T20 World Cup glory in Australia later this year.

They will then head to India next year attempting to defend their world title in the 50-over format.

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