Mickey Arthur has agreed to return for a second spell with Pakistan as director of cricket.

The South African will continue in his role as Derbyshire head of cricket and work with Pakistan outside the county season.

Arthur wil be part of the Pakistan coaching staff for the 2023 Cricket World Cup in India, a tour of Australia, a home series against West Indies and the Asia Cup contests with India.

During his tenure as Pakistan head coach from 2016 to 2019, the 54-year-old mastermind an ICC Champions Trophy success six years ago, while he also took the Test and T20I sides to the top of the rankings.

The former Australia and South Africa coach said: "I am absolutely thrilled to be rejoining the Pakistan cricket team and look forward to working with the group.

"Since moving on, I have kept a track of the players and their collective performances.

"This is a talented bunch with the potential to be number one across all formats and my endeavour is to put in place strategies and create an environment that can contribute in further enhancing their performances so that we can extract the best out of them."

The Pakistan Cricket Board had revealed in January that they held talks with Arthur with a view to making him Saqlain Mushtaq's successor as head coach, but could not reach an agreement.

Jasprit Bumrah has started his rehabilitation and is "pain-free" following back surgery as his India team-mate Shreyas Iyer prepares to go under the knife.

Bumrah underwent an operation in New Zealand last month and the procedure was a success.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) revealed paceman Bumrah began his rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bangalore on Friday.

Bumrah has been sidelined since a home T20l series against Australia in September.

Meanwhile, Iyer will undergo surgery on his lower back next week.

The batter will remain in the surgeon's care for a fortnight before returning to the NCA to start his rehabilitation.

Iyer and Bumrah were forced to miss the ongoing Indian Premier League due to their injuries.

West Indies avoided a repeat of their remarkable, record-breaking defeat in the second T20I against South Africa by clinging on to win the series decider by seven runs.

The Windies had been on the wrong end of a historic run chase in the sides' previous encounter, the highest scoring Twenty20 match since the format was introduced.

But there would be no repeat in Johannesburg on Tuesday, even if Reeza Hendricks again made life difficult for the tourists after another strong Windies score of 220-8.

Hendricks was credited by centurion Quinton de Kock with inspiring the Proteas fightback in the second match, having contributed 68 off just 28 balls.

Missing De Kock's support, it was a one-man effort this time as Hendricks scored 83 off 43, not quite enough with South Africa falling short on 213-6.

West Indies had posted the second-highest T20I total not to include a single fifty but were also themselves grateful for the work of one batter in particular.

In a blockbuster conclusion to the first innings, Romario Shepherd had scored 26 from the final over to top-score with 44 from only 22 balls – the knock that ultimately proved the difference.

Phenomenal finish sees Windies safe

South Africa handed the ball to Kagiso Rabada with some confidence ahead of the 20th over, with the bowling superstar having restricted the Windies to 2-24 from his previous three overs.

Yet Shepherd, twice put down by De Kock, smashed Rabada all around the ground to set a daunting target. As a result, the Proteas needed to match Shepherd with 26 off the last but could only manage 18.

Repeat proves beyond Proteas

While Hendricks remained in the middle, it appeared very possible South Africa would pull off another stunning recovery. It would have been a record-breaking fifth successful 200-run chase in the format.

However, West Indies kept their nerve, crucially having Hendricks caught by captain Rovman Powell at long on in the 19th over. The Windies still have not lost a T20I series in South Africa, with two wins and a draw.

Quinton de Kock lauded "silent assassin" Reeza Hendricks after the pair put on 152 to kick-start South Africa's record run chase against West Indies.

South Africa beat the Windies by six wickets at Centurion on Sunday, chasing down a target of 259.

It marked the record successful run chase in a T20I, while De Kock (100 from 44 deliveries) hit the fastest 50 in the shortest format for South Africa, with his half-century coming from just 15 balls.

De Kock, supported ably by Hendricks (68), took the fight to Windies from the off, with the Proteas reaching 102-0 by the end of the first powerplay. It is the highest powerplay total in a T20I involving a full-member nation.

Hendricks picked up the slack after De Kock's dismissal at the hands of Raymon Reifer (1-42), and the latter put the credit on his fellow opener.

"It was quite special. Reeza was the silent assassin," said De Kock, whose century was his first in T20Is.

"When I got out he said, 'We just did something really special and we should be proud of what we've done'.

"We have played together for so long. We know what he can do."

Asked about his approach, De Kock added: "Just pick the right options and play with a bit of hope. Playing at Centurion, we know we can get a lot of runs here."

South Africa captain Aiden Markram finished the job with 38 runs from 21 balls, and said both teams can be proud of being involved in such a thrilling encounter, with 81 boundaries plundered between the sides.

"It was a great game to be a part of," said Markram. "All in all I think both teams can appreciate it."

Johnson Charles' sublime 118 from 46 deliveries set the Windies on their way to a big total that seemed set to be enough to see the tourists take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.

Charles' century came off just 39 balls, a new record for a Windies player.

"It was pretty, pretty crazy. When we came off halfway, we thought we had enough," said West Indies captain Rovman Powell.

"But credit to Quinton de Kock and Reeza Hendricks. They applied pressure from ball one.

"We tell [Johnson] to go hard. We give him a licence to hit. He played very well today.

"This is the seventh game I've been on the T20 circuit that we scored 240 or 250 runs and we lost so I'm quite used to it now."

Quinton de Kock's sensational century propelled South Africa to a remarkable six-wicket victory over West Indies in a thrilling T20I after a record-breaking knock from Johnson Charles at Centurion.

Charles' astonishing 118 from 46 balls and an excellent 51 from Kyle Mayers got the Windies to what looked to be a series-winning total of 258-5 on Sunday.

Yet De Kock (100 off 44) had other ideas, with South Africa's former captain leading the Proteas to a sensational triumph and the highest successful run chase in T20Is.

By the end of the third over the hosts had scored 62 without loss, and they added an additional 20 runs from the next 18 deliveries. South Africa's total of 102-0 from the first six overs is the highest powerplay score in a T20I involving Test-playing nations, and the fastest first hundred runs scored in a T20I involving a full ICC member.

In the process, De Kock struck South Africa's quickest 50, from just 15 balls – the fifth-fastest half-century in the shortest format.

De Kock should have been caught in the deep shortly after, but did not let up as he cruised to his maiden T20I century, taking just 42 deliveries to get there, before falling to Raymon Reifer soon after.

Reeza Hendricks (68 from 28 balls) picked up the slack, though he followed Rilee Rossouw (16) in heading back to the pavilion when the Windies claimed wickets in swift succession in the 12th and 13th overs.

Romario Shepherd caught David Miller to hand West Indies a further flash of hope, yet three big hits from new captain Aiden Markram (38) put the Proteas back in control as they cantered to victory and levelled the series.

Charles' record ton overshadowed

If it was not for De Kock's sparkling knock, Charles would have been the story.

His century, which came from 39 deliveries and included 11 sixes and 10 fours, was the fastest T20I hundred by a West Indies player, surpassing a record set by Chris Gayle in 2016 (47 balls). Unfortunately for the tourists, it was not enough.

Bad day for the bowlers

It was certainly a day for the batters at SuperSport Park. South Africa's bowlers set the tone for what was to come as they struggled to keep the Windies under wraps, despite Wayne Parnell (2-42) dismissing Brandon King in the first over.

The Windies attack then suffered as De Kock, Hendricks and then Markram put them to the sword in a stunning display.

New skipper Rovman Powell powered West Indies to a stunning three-wicket win against South Africa in a rain-reduced T20I clash on Saturday.

The start in Centurion was pushed back because of wet conditions and the contest was reduced to an 11-overs-a-side thrash, with South Africa totting up 131-8, helping by David Miller crunching 48 from 22 balls.

Miller struck three sixes as the home side recovered well from losing opener Quinton de Kock to the first ball of their innings at SuperSport Park.

West Indies made a flying start to their reply as Brandon King and Kyle Mayers took 17 runs from the first four deliveries. King's 23, and 28 from Johnson Charles, helped to put the tourists in a strong position, but it was Powell who played the crucial innings.

The 29-year-old Jamaican hit five sixes in an explosive 43no from 18 balls, holding his nerve after West Indies lost two wickets to Sisanda Magala (3-21) in the 10th over.

Powell's maximum from the second delivery of the 11th over brought the teams level, and he tucked away a single into the leg side from the next ball to seal the win, taking West Indies to 132-7.

Powell starts as he means to go on

The chance to lead arose for Powell when Nicholas Pooran resigned as West Indies' white-ball captain after last year's T20 World Cup.

Powell has taken on the T20I job, with Shai Hope leading the ODI team, and this was a whirlwind beginning for the incoming captain, firstly with the match being reduced to a quickfire slog, and then with the pressure falling on his shoulders with the bat.

He came in at 66-3 in the fifth over, after the breakneck start, and saw the job through, posting his joint-sixth highest T20I score in what was his 47th innings at this level.

Trend to continue?

The last three T20I series between these teams have been won by the touring side, and with two games remaining in this series we might be on for a repeat.

South Africa are experiencing a dire run of series results in T20Is at home, having lost their last four such series, last getting a home success against Sri Lanka in March 2019.

Over the longer course of a full 20 overs it might prove a different story between these teams, with the win for West Indies on this occasion being just the second in their last 16 T20Is away from home. They and South Africa go again on Sunday, also in Centurion.

Punjab Kings have confirmed Jonny Bairstow will miss the Indian Premier League as he continues his recovery from injury.

The England batter has not played since last August due to the freak accident he suffered during a round of golf.

Bairstow slipped at the side of a green six months ago, breaking his leg in three places and suffering a dislocated ankle.

The 33-year-old is building up his fitness ahead of a big home summer for England, including Australia's visit for the Ashes, but he will play no part in the IPL.

Punjab have signed Australian Matthew Short as a replacement for Bairstow.

The Kings stated on Saturday: "We regret to inform you that Jonny Bairstow will not be a part of the IPL this season because of his injury. We wish him the best and look forward to seeing him next season."

Punjab face Kolkata Knight Riders in their first match of the tournament next Saturday.

A new era will start for both South Africa and West Indies when Aiden Markram and Rovman Powell lead the sides in the opening Twenty20 International match of the series on Saturday.

Markram this month replaced Temba Bavuma as captain, with the Test and one-day international skipper axed from the T20I squad.

The opener at SuperSport Park will also be the first T20I since Rob Walter took over as white-ball head coach and comes on the back of a 1-1 ODI series draw with the Windies.

Markram was given the honour of captaining his country in only his third ODI back in 2018, when Faf du Plessis was absent along with other senior players.

The batter felt that opportunity came too soon and believes the experience he has gained since then should stand him in good stead.

He said: "I was quite fresh back then. I was very hard on myself, and always wanted to do well and we know this sport, it doesn't always work out that way."

Markram added: "Being with the legendary team the Proteas had at the time, I paid attention to how Faf managed to marshal his troops.

"That is something I looked up to and strived for probably without him knowing, it was just through me observing from the side."

It will also be a special weekend for Powell in Centurion, where there will be a double-header before the series ends with a contest at JB Marks Oval Potchefstroom on Tuesday.

Powell was selected as the man to replace Nicholas Pooran, who stepped down after the T20 World Cup in Australia last November.

South Africa will be looking to take the momentum from a record-breaking series-levelling ODI win over the Windies in which Heinrich Klaasen was the star of the show.

Klaasen struck 119 off 61 balls as the Proteas chased down their victory target of 261 in just 29.3 overs in Potchefstroom, becoming the first team to score 250 or more to win in under 30 overs.

De Kock set to move level with De Villiers

Wicketkeeper-batter Quinton de Kock is set to go joint-third on the list of the highest appearance-makers for the Proteas in T20Is, as he is currently one behind AB de Villiers' tally of 78.

De Kock has enjoyed facing West Indies in the shortest format, scoring half-centuries in each of his past three knocks.

Windies away form must be addressed

West Indies have won only one of their past 15 T20Is on tour, that coming against Zimbabwe last October. 

Facing South Africa could present a good opportunity to address that poor record, as the Proteas have lost four multi-game bilateral T20I series at home – that is their longest losing run in this format.

England's defeat in the third T20I against Bangladesh "hurt", although coach Matthew Mott's reflections on the series suggested results were perhaps not the primary concern.

Bangladesh completed a memorable whitewash of the world champions by winning by 16 runs in the final match on Tuesday.

Having beaten the home side in the prior ODI series, England's 20-over team looked a little short, with injuries to Tom Abell and Will Jacks limiting their batting reserves.

Neither man was replaced in the T20I squad, meaning England played the series with only five dedicated batters.

Bangladesh capitalised, with Dawid Malan's 53 and captain Jos Buttler's 40 not enough as England attempted to chase down 159 in Dhaka.

Mott preferred to blame England's fielding after the hosts set a tricky target, saying: "I thought our first 15 overs in the field were nowhere near the level we'd expect.

"We really wanted to finish well here. The lead-in was good, everyone was up and about, but for whatever reason, we just couldn't get clean hands on the ball, either in the air or on the ground.

"We showed a bit of ticker at the back end, [but] they were still at least 15, 20 over par on that wicket."

The coach added: "That one hurts today. To finish the way we did today will leave a bit of a sour taste in our mouths."

Yet he defended the squad selection for this series, suggesting England would have learned from seeing how their small group performed in Bangladesh – even if that impacted negatively on results.

"If you look at how many players we've exposed this year alone, we've gone a fair way down the depth charts," Mott said of England's batting options.

"The realisation [was] that we're probably better off investing in some batters that were put under pressure in these games.

"You only learn from your mistakes; the opportunities that they've been given here will give them time to reflect and when we get into pressure situations in World Cups."

He added: "I'm confident it was the right decision."

Bangladesh completed a stunning 3-0 rout of England as Jos Buttler's team suffered more T20I misery in Mirpur where the tourists slumped to a 16-run defeat.

The hosts tallied 158-2 against the world champions, with opener Litton Das making 73 and the in-form Najmul Hossain Shanto adding 47 not out. They shared in a second-wicket stand of 84 as England struggled to find bowling penetration and fielded poorly.

England were seemingly cruising at 100-1 in reply but then lost Dawid Malan and captain Jos Buttler to successive deliveries in the 14th over, and their lack of middle-order strength was exploited by the home team.

Malan, on 53, edged to wicketkeeper Das off left-arm paceman Mustafizur Rahman, and from the next ball Mehidy Hasan threw down the stumps as Buttler chased a quick single and was run out for 40.

Ben Duckett got away with an edge off Mehidy that Das juggled, before Taskin Ahmed struck twice in the 17th over, having Moeen Ali caught just inside the boundary and then bowling Duckett.

It meant England were 123-5, needing 36 from the final three overs, and Sam Curran soon fell too, prised out by Shakib Al Hasan. England wanted 27 from the final over, and that was inevitably beyond them, stalling on 142-6 and left to wonder where it all went so wrong.

Bangladesh celebrate famous scalp

There were delirious scenes inside the Shere Bangla National Stadium as the Tigers pulled off a terrific series victory. This was just Bangladesh's second 3-0 T20I clean sweep in their history, having first had such a success against Ireland in July 2012.

Ton up for Mustafizur

Mustafizur's dismissal of Malan made him just the second player to reach 100 wickets for Bangladesh in men's T20Is, after Shakib Al Hasan. The 27-year-old reached the landmark in his 81st match in the short format, with his best bowling remaining the 5-22 he took against New Zealand at Eden Gardens in March 2016.

England captain Jos Buttler soaked up the disappointment of a T20I series defeat to Bangladesh and insisted it had been worth trialling a team light on frontline batters.

With Tom Abell and Will Jacks unavailable due to injury, England might have sent for batting reinforcements but instead elected to persevere with their weakened unit.

It meant Moeen Ali batted at three on Sunday, with Sam Curran at six, both bumped up higher than they would usually be expected to figure in the order.

Moeen made 15 and Curran added 12 in a feeble 117 all out, with Buttler dropping down from playing as an opener to bat at number four, where he scored only four.

Bangladesh won by four wickets, with Najmul Hossain Shanto hitting 46no, leaving Buttler to face questions about England's performance, and their selections.

"It's a different balance and it's a different feel to the team," he said. "I think we're wanting to give exposure to guys especially who, in these conditions, will also probably play a part in the 50-over World Cup.

"It felt like a great chance to expose the all-rounders' batting, maybe one spot higher than in our normal team.

"The way cricket is at the moment, there's a few players who've opted not to be here anyway for various reasons. So instead of calling up someone else, we tried to use the guys who would be exposed to these conditions in the 50-over World Cup as well."

Regarding his own move in the line-up, perhaps intended to beef up the middle order, Buttler said: "I'm very comfortable batting anywhere in the order.

"I've spent a hell of a lot of my career as a middle order player, and I think we've got some good options. I just felt like it would be an opportunity to try something different."

England will hope for a better outcome in Tuesday's final match, but Bangladesh's wins in Chattogram and Mirpur mean the tourists are playing for mere consolation.

Jos Buttler paid tribute to an "outstanding bowling performance" from his England team that allowed them to push Bangladesh all the way despite scoring just 117 on Sunday.

England failed to build on a strong power play after being put in to bat first in Dhaka, with Mehidy Hasan taking 4-12 as Bangladesh seized control.

The modest target was eventually passed by the hosts with four wickets and seven balls to spare, seeing Bangladesh win the three-match series ahead of Tuesday's final encounter.

But Buttler was impressed with the way his team stayed in the match as Jofra Archer took three wickets for just 13 runs in four overs. There was also a first wicket for T20I debutant Rehan Ahmed.

"It was an outstanding bowling performance, creating pressure and defending a low score," captain Buttler said. "I'm proud of everyone's efforts."

A difficult pitch contributed to the low-scoring affair, although England were 50-1 through six overs.

Phil Salt quickly departed in the seventh over, having scored 25 off 19, and only Ben Duckett managed to dig in thereafter in scoring 28 off 28.

Buttler, who was out for four, said: "No batter ever wants to get out, but it's a tough wicket to start your innings on.

"We needed someone to stick with Ben Duckett."

The visiting skipper added: "It was a different game of T20. Credit to Bangladesh for out-playing us."

Opposite number Shakib Al Hasan said: "They had a very good start, but we kept our nerve in a very good team effort. In a tricky game like this, it was important to keep our nerve."

England failed to protect a modest total as Bangladesh won a low-scoring second T20I by four wickets to take the series in Dhaka.

A competitive England score had been chased down in the opener, meaning the world champions were in trouble again when they could only tally 117 on Sunday.

Jos Buttler's tourists slowed alarmingly after reaching the end of the power play on 50-1, crucially losing Phil Salt (25 off 19) in the seventh over before Mehidy Hasan came to the fore for Bangladesh.

Mehidy finished with figures of 4-12, and he then had a key role again with the bat after England had threatened to come back into the match.

Although the Bangladesh reply saw only 32 runs scored in the power play, they still required just over a run a ball at that stage to make 118 – an increasingly achievable target when Mehidy scored 20 off 16, including two sixes.

That contribution would prove decisive – along with a steadier 46 from Najmul Hossain Shanto – as the chase was completed on 120-6 with seven balls remaining, sealing the series ahead of Tuesday's final match.

England stutter after solid start

All out for 117 from the final ball of the innings, England went from a run rate of 8.33 in the power play to 4.79 across the remaining 14 overs.

Even on a difficult pitch, that score – England's eighth-lowest in T20Is – was never likely to be quite enough.

Mehidy makes the difference

Mehidy had career-best figures with the ball, removing Moeen Ali for 15 and then bringing out the tail with the consecutive wickets of Sam Curran, Chris Woakes and Chris Jordan.

But his brisk knock with the bat was every bit as vital, with only Salt, Mehidy and Taskin Ahmed (a late eight off three) scoring at more than a run a ball in the match.

Bangladesh completed a fine run chase to upset a weakened England in the opening T20I as Najmul Hossain Shanto's half-century helped the hosts to a six-wicket victory.

Without a host of big names in Chattogram, including Ben Stokes and Harry Brook, the world champions toiled in the second half of their innings and made only 156-6.

England then failed to make sufficient headway with the ball as the hosts kicked off the three-match series with a surprise win.

The tourists initially looked set for a routine victory following an impressive opening stand of 80 from Phil Salt (38) and captain Jos Buttler (67), but they stuttered thereafter.

Mustafizur Rahman's fierce 16th-over delivery to remove Ben Duckett (20) was the catalyst for Bangladesh's assault, with Shanto clinging onto Buttler's leg-side drive from the very next ball.

Having provided the delivery which accounted for Buttler, Hasan Mahmud also sent Sam Curran packing as England's rate continued to slow.

Bangladesh recovered from the early losses of Rony Talukdar (21) and Litton Das (12) after taking up the bat, with Shanto's knock of 51 supported by Towhid Hridoy (24) and skipper Shakib Al Hasan (34no).

Even Mark Wood sending stumps flying to end Shanto's stay did nothing to slow Bangladesh's progress, as Shakib finished off a clinical chase by finding the boundary with 12 balls remaining.

Significant scalp for Bangladesh

Bangladesh entered Thursday's contest having lost seven of their last nine T20Is, with World Cup triumphs over Zimbabwe and the Netherlands their only wins in that run.

However, after winning the third and final ODI against England on Monday, they carried that form into the shorter format to turn the world champions over in comfortable fashion at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium.

Shanto leads the way

While the experience of Shakib helped Bangladesh over the line, Shanto's excellent knock set them on their way to a textbook chase.

Shanto's half-century was his third in T20Is, following knocks of 71 against Zimbabwe and 54 against Pakistan at the World Cup last year.

England could be forgiven for lacking in motivation ahead of their T20I series with Bangladesh, but Chris Woakes sees it as a chance for them to "lay down a marker" following their World Cup triumph.

Matthew Mott's team won the 50-over series in Bangladesh 2-1, with that format receiving the greatest emphasis with England set to defend the Cricket World Cup in India in October.

England won the T20 World Cup last year but will not have to defend that title until June next year, making a three-match series over the shortest format perhaps seem a tad insignificant.

That feeling is furthered by the absence of Ben Stokes, Harry Brook, Alex Hales and Liam Livingstone from the squad.

For Woakes, though, there is no lack of desire.

"It's a great opportunity for us to hopefully lay down a marker again as world champions," said Woakes ahead of Thursday's opener in Chattogram.

"We haven't played a series since we won that World Cup so it's a challenge for us in these conditions, but it's exciting to play here against obviously a very good Bangladesh side.

"It does feel a little bit strange, we're obviously playing a format that isn't overly necessary right now.

"Nonetheless, you're playing for England and you want to win, so we're looking forward to the next three games."

Bangladesh have lost seven of their last nine men's T20 internationals, those two wins coming against Zimbabwe and the Netherlands at the World Cup.

New coach Chandika Hathurusingha was impressed by his side's performance in the ODIs and is excited to see whether his squad can rise to the challenge against the world champions.

"I am very open to see what we can do," Hathurusingha said. "I expect players to do the same thing that got them selected.

"So go and show in the international level against the world champions, for them to understand where they are at, and for us to understand whether we are better than them in our conditions or they are better than us.

"It is a good opportunity for us to see our skill set in T20s."
 

Jordan closing on century

Chris Jordan has been drafted into the squad and has the chance to make history.

He is England's leading wicket-taker in T20 cricket with 95 and by taking five more would become the sixth male player to take 100 wickets in the format.

Jordan would also become the third England player, male or female, to achieve the feat, following Katherine Sciver-Brunt and Anya Shrubsole.

A Litton bit more

Wicketkeeper Litton Das will be one of the players Bangladesh look to for batting firepower.

Since the beginning of 2022, he has a batting strike rate of 140.6 from 360 balls faced in T20Is, the highest of any Bangladesh player in the format in that time to have faced at least 10 balls.

They will likely need him to produce more of that kind of form if they are to threaten to upset the odds.