Moeen Ali admitted the absence of several regulars is “no excuse” for England’s faltering white-ball tour of the Caribbean ahead of a must-win T20 against Grenada on Saturday.

Following a shock group-stage exit at the World Cup in India, England lost the ODI series to the West Indies and have no more margin for error in the T20s after falling 2-0 down with three to play.

This was supposed to be a dry run for the defence of their T20 World Cup in the region next summer, but the Windies’ belligerent batting has helped them to victories in Barbados and Grenada this week.

While the tourists are without Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow and Mark Wood, Moeen pointed out the bulk of the side that won the T20 World Cup last year are in tow and should be doing better than they are.

“There’s still players to come back,” Moeen said. “Obviously with Stokesy, Bairstow and Woody.

“But there’s no excuse. Everyone’s a good player here – our guys have played quite a bit now in T20 cricket. It wasn’t long ago since we won the World Cup.

“We’ve just gotta adapt quickly to these conditions because this is what we’re going to get, it will be completely different to (last year’s tournament in) Australia. I think we’ve just got to start winning.

“There’s still a bit of time to go before the World Cup, but obviously we need to get a few things right as a side. We need to grab those moments and recognise those moments straight away.”

The Windies have muscled a combined 27 sixes so far to persistently put pressure on England’s bowlers, while Jos Buttler’s side have cleared the rope on just 14 occasions.

However, several England batters have been guilty of failing to build on their starts and gifted their wickets by being caught on the boundary in Thursday’s 10-run defeat.

Slow left-armer Gudakesh Motie conceded just nine runs in his four overs on a slow pitch and Moeen argued England’s batters do not necessarily need to look to go aerial all the time.

“It is not good enough from our point – at least, I think we can rotate a bit more if we’re not going to take him down, rotate a bit more and at least keep the scoreboard ticking,” Moeen said.

“You always target bowlers and I just think we probably didn’t get it right against their spin.

“Yes, we’ve got a lot of power and we can hit balls, but we’re just giving the wicket away a lot of the time. You can still be positive and hit the ball high, but you don’t have to always hit sixes.”

A switch of formats has not been conducive for England captain Jos Buttler, who was out for five off seven balls at the National Cricket Stadium after prodding meekly to the cover fielder in the ring.

It has been a frustrating few months for Buttler, both in terms of his performances and England’s results, but his white-ball deputy Moeen has urged for patience with the side in transition.

“My role is to give him an answer when he asks me and make sure there’s no doubt about anything coming from me and support him as much as I can,” Moeen added. “He’s led us to a World Cup (win).

“There will be a difficult period. This was always going to happen as everyone knows. It’s just getting back on it and making it clear for everybody their roles in the side.”

With a second match in 48 hours at St George’s, England are likely to shuffle their bowlers as left-arm seamer Reece Topley and uncapped paceman John Turner push for involvement.

Opening batsman Brandon King played a crucial role in allowing the West Indies to take a 2-0 lead over England in their five-match T20I series at the National Cricket Stadium in Grenada on Thursday.

The 28-year-old batted through the West Indian innings to help them post a formidable 176-7 from their 20 overs on a St. George’s pitch that offered a lot to the bowlers.

“We found it a bit difficult to start. It’s a low and slow pitch. Not what we’re used to here, we usually get a good batting wicket, so, we had to assess very quickly,” said King in a post-match interview.

“We lost some early wickets so we had to try and decide how to go about it in a smart way,” he added.

Individually, King made 82* off 52 balls, his eighth fifty in T20 Internationals, hitting eight fours and five sixes. His first run of the innings was also his 1000^th in T20Is.

“I think there’s always some level of luck involved as well,” King said about being able to bat through the innings on that pitch.

“I was the one that got the start in the powerplay. It was difficult for new batters to come in and get going, especially against the spinners. We lost some early wickets so, given that I got the start, I tried to take it as deep as possible,” he added.

The hosts lost the wickets of Kyle Mayers (17), Nicholas Pooran (5), Shai Hope (1) and Shimron Hetmyer (2) all within the first 10 overs of their innings before King and skipper Rovman Powell combined to put on 80 for the fifth wicket.

“Extremely crucial,” was how King described Powell’s innings of 50 from 28 balls including a 30-run 16^th over off Sam Curran.

“A fantastic innings from him. He eased the pressure off me a little bit as well. Nobody has the power that he has. There are some shots only he can play so it was very important at that stage of the innings that he got those quick runs,” King added.

Powell’s heroics were needed after England’s spin duo of Adil Rashid and Rehan Ahmed accounted for the wickets of Pooran, Hope and Hetmyer.

“The spinners. You could see from early they were getting some purchase from the wicket with the new ball. Adil Rashid is obviously a very experienced bowler who knows how to bowl around the world. He bowled an excellent spell. It was important to us to not give him too many wickets and take the majority of the runs off the pace bowlers,” King said.

On the bowling side for the West Indies, King said his teammates did well to follow the game plan and use information from their own innings.

“Taking the information from the first innings, we knew what lengths were difficult. We went out and tried to apply that in the field. The guys fielded well as well so we’re very happy with that,” he said.

He also singled out Gudakesh Motie for conceding just nine runs in his spell.

“Excellent spell from him. To bowl four overs for nine runs in a T20 game is amazing. A good call from the skipper and the coach to bring him in for this game. Obviously, they read the pitch very well so he was crucial for us today,” he said.

The West indies will have a chance to clinch the series with on Saturday in the third T20I beginning at 12:30pm Jamaica Time (1:30pm ECT) at the same venue.

England head coach Matthew Mott wants a response from his side after they were left with a mountain to climb in the T20 series against the West Indies in Grenada.

Sam Curran made amends after being thumped for 30 in an over, hit for four sixes and a four by Windies captain Rovman Powell, with 50 off 32 balls, having been elevated to number four in the batting order.

While there were several cameos, Curran lacked support as England fell 10 runs short of overhauling their opponents’ 176 for seven to fall 2-0 down in the five-match series after losing the ODIs 2-1.

The tourists struggled against left-arm spinners Gudakesh Motie and Akeal Hosein, who leaked a combined 33 in eight overs. Motie was especially successful, taking 4-0-9-1 on a tricky pitch to bat on.

“No one likes losing,” said Mott. “We played good cricket again for 90 per cent of the match. We had them under control up to the 15th-over mark and unfortunately, as West Indies can do, they hurt us.

“We fought back at the back end to keep them to 176 which was definitely chase-able. It’s light and shade with our batting, there’s some really good things happening but probably just too many dot balls.

“We have to respond from this. We will try to come up with more solutions. We are trying hard, we are close. We are a couple of good hits away from a win.

“The message in the changing room is that we are not far away. We just have to stay the course. We’ve got to win one first. That’s our first target.”

Curran averaged 11 from 26 previous T20 innings, albeit having only once before batted in the top five, but he has three Test fifties and sparkled with an unbeaten 95 in an ODI against India in 2021.

It was still a surprise to see him stride out after Phil Salt was England’s second batter dismissed, with Liam Livingstone, Harry Brook and Moeen Ali each nudged down one position.

Curran, though, was the pick of the batters and uncorked seven boundaries – including three sixes – and Mott revealed his promotion was down to how they thought he would fare against Hosein and Motie.

“He didn’t seem to get a heap of strike, it’s funny how it works out and he ended up taking down the medium-pacers,” said Mott, who added it was a “50-50 call” about whether to elevate Curran or Moeen.

“We just thought Sam was the one to try and really disrupt and get a free licence to go and go hard. He did it, not in the fashion we were expecting but he certainly did his job.

“We’ve always rated his batting and he’s been in some strong teams, as he showed. When he gets an opportunity, he’s a class player. He’s worked really hard on facing fast bowling.

“He’s got a great all-round game. We know he can hurt the spinners a lot but there’s certainly more layers to his batting which is exciting for the future. It was unfortunate he got out when he did.”

The Windies belted 13 sixes to England’s eight, with opener Brandon King and Powell sharing five apiece. King anchored the Windies innings with 82 off 52 balls and Powell registered 50 off 28.

Assessing Curran’s more ignominious offering on Thursday, Mott added: “When they line you up, it’s a tough place to be.

“Every time you clear the rope it’s a big win, particularly early in an over. It’s something we have spoken about and we have got some really good six hitters ourselves.”

Powell was on a run-a-ball 22 at the start of the 16th over having been kept quiet by Adil Rashid, who took 4-0-11-2, but followed up a streaky inside edge off Curran with some monstrous hits.

Jacqueline Williams, who became the first female umpire from the Caribbean to stand in a men’s T20 international, raised her arms skywards on four occasions before Powell ended the over by holing out.

“It definitely changed the game,” Powell reflected. “As a batter you sometimes look for that over.

“After being pegged down by the leg-spinners and then the pacer comes on, you think ‘maybe this is the opportunity to cash in’.”

Sam Curran fell short in his attempt at atonement with the bat as England were left with a mountain to climb after the West Indies moved 2-0 ahead in their T20 series.

Thumped for 30 in his second and last over by a rampant Rovman Powell, whose 50 off 28 balls propelled the Windies to 176 for seven, Curran was elevated several places to four in England’s batting order.

He made 50 himself – with four fours and three sixes – before succumbing to a catch on the boundary from his 32nd ball and England settled for 166 for seven to lose by 10 runs on a hot day in Grenada.

Adil Rashid did not concede a single boundary as he collected figures of 4-0-11-2, while Tymal Mills was impressive at the death but England’s pace options lacked a cutting edge and Rehan Ahmed was expensive as the Windies racked up 13 sixes, five of them from opener Brandon King, who made an unbeaten 82.

England had their moments with the bat, most notably as Curran defied a previous T20 average of 11 from 26 innings, but some of their more-established stars were loose at inopportune moments.

Alzarri Joseph took three for 39 and slow left-armer Gudakesh Motie conceded nine from his allotment on a sluggish pitch to leave England needing to prevail in all three remaining T20s to win the series.

It has been a forgettable few days for Jos Buttler after their World Cup group-stage exit and ODI series loss to these opponents, although the England captain returned to a venue where he make a sensational 150 on his last visit four years ago.

However, he made five this time before charging at left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein and fluffing to short cover.

Jason Holder was taken the distance by Phil Salt, while Will Jacks clubbed three fours in an over off Andre Russell as England came out of the powerplay with 51 before Motie pegged them back.

He conceded just four from his first two overs and Joseph capitalised as England’s ODI openers looked to attack him. Salt departed for 25 and Jacks for 24, the pair tempted to swing into the wind after Joseph dangled the carrot of banging the ball halfway down the pitch.

Liam Livingstone put some pressure back on the Windies by pulling and driving Russell for fours before crashing a six for a third-successive boundary, while Curran got in the act, clearing deep midwicket.

But Livingstone could not resist going after Motie – in his final over – and was caught on the boundary, while Harry Brook also perished to spin off Hosein as England were left needing 67 from 30 balls.

Curran cleared the straight boundary off both Joseph and Russell, who followed up his star showing in the Windies’ win in Barbados by leaking 66 off four overs here.

But after bringing up a maiden T20 fifty, Curran skewed Joseph to deep point, effectively ending England’s hopes.

While the returning Moeen Ali – in for Ben Duckett in England’s only line-up change – made 22 not out, the tourists were left with too much to do after requiring 27 in six balls.

A quiet start to the Windies’ innings after England fielded upon winning the toss was punctuated when King belted the returning Moeen for two sixes in an over but a 43-run opening stand ended as Kyle Mayers miscued Chris Woakes’ slower ball up to a backtracking Curran.

It was the start of the Windies losing four wickets in 17 balls as Woakes held on to a skier when Nicholas Pooran looked to take down Rashid, who had Shimron Hetmyer well caught by Moeen at slip.

Either side of Rashid’s double breakthrough, Ahmed castled Shai Hope with a sharp-turning googly.

No risks were taken against Rashid which left the Windies on 101 for four when he was bowled out with five overs left and Powell, on a run-a-ball 22, took matters into his own hands when Curran came back.

An inside edge for four was a streaky beginning but there was nothing fortunate in the way Powell then picked off Curran’s slower, length deliveries, including one baseball-style swing over long-off.

Jacqueline Williams, who became the first female umpire from the Caribbean to stand in a men’s T20 international, raised her arms skywards four times in total but Curran got a measure of revenge as Powell holed out from the final delivery of the over after bringing up a 27-ball fifty.

King tucked into Ahmed’s final offering but Mills dragged it back, conceding a combined 15 in the 18th and 20th overs and snaring Russell and Holder with the last two balls.

England’s quicks struggled to land a blow but Brandon King and Rovman Powell got plenty in to lift the West Indies to 176 for seven in the second T20 at Grenada.

The Windies lost four wickets in 17 balls to slip to 54 for four, with Adil Rashid immaculate in his 4-0-11-2, ending his spell with the hosts on 104 for four with just five overs left.

What followed was a brutal display of hitting from captain Powell, on a run-a-ball 22 at the time who bludgeoned Sam Curran for four sixes in an over to reach his half-century off just 27 deliveries.

He holed out off his next ball to give Curran the last laugh but it was a grisly afternoon for the left-arm seamer, who leaked 30 after his slower, length balls were feasted on by Powell.

Rehan Ahmed then conceded 18 in his final over after being hammered by King, who anchored the home side’s innings with an unbeaten 82 from 52 balls with eight fours and five sixes.

Tymal Mills pulled it back at the death, impressively conceding just a combined 15 in the 18th and 20th overs and claiming the wickets of Andre Russell and Jason Holder with the innings’ final two balls.

England are looking to get back in the series after losing the Barbados opener on Tuesday but – while their pace options could not make an impact then – they made just one change as Moeen Ali replaced Ben Duckett.

The Windies hammered 14 sixes in the opening match of the series and made only one fewer this time.

England ran out India captain Harmanpreet Kaur in bizarre circumstances on the opening day of their one-off women’s Test – but they could not stop the hosts piling up 410 for seven in Mumbai.

It was India’s first Test match on home soil since 2014 but they settled in to their task after choosing to bat, with Satheeth Shubha (69), Jemima Rodrigues (68), Yastika Bhatia (66) and Deepti Sharma (60no) all making half-centuries.

Kaur thought she had also reached the landmark for the first time but was surprised to find herself given out for 49 after raising her bat to acknowledge the applause of her team-mates.

She had prodded a delivery to cover and scampered through for what she believed to be her fiftieth run after Danni Wyatt’s return throw hit the stumps and ricocheted away from wicketkeeper Amy Jones.

The TV umpire subsequently reviewed the replays and found Kaur, who had been in no pressure whatsoever to make her ground, had accidentally lodged her bat just in front of the crease line and was short by an inch as the bails were lifted.

It may not have been lost on England that the bowler at the time was Charlie Dean, victim of a controversial ‘Mankad’ run out at the non-striker’s end under Kaur’s captaincy at Lord’s in 2022.

England may already find victory a tough ask with India’s highest ever home total and healthy run rate of 4.36 carving out a strong position.

This summer’s women’s Ashes series included a five-day Test, allowing enough time for the game to reach its natural conclusion, but the reversion to the conventional, unloved four days means a draw may be the best realistic result for Heather Knight’s tourists.

England had started the day well, Lauren Bell bowling Smriti Mandhana via an inside edge and Kate Cross cleaning up Shafali Verma inside the first nine overs. Bell returned to dismiss Rodrigues’ impressive knock by attacking the stumps again and finished with figures of two for 64.

Sophie Ecclestone, the world’s number one white-ball spinner, struggled to assert herself as she mustered one for 85 in 22 overs and there was one wicket apiece for Dean and Nat Sciver-Brunt, who landed a late blow to remove Sneh Rana in the closing minutes.

Jacqueline Williams is set to become the first female umpire from the West Indies to stand in a men’s T20 International featuring two Full-Member teams. The 47-year-old Williams will stand in the middle during the second T20I between West Indies and England at the Grenada National Stadium on Thursday.

She will be joined on field by experienced umpire Gregory, while Leslie Reifer jr will be the television umpire. The fourth umpire for the match is Patrick Gustard with Sir Richie Richardson, the former West Indies captain, as the Match Referee.

“It is like a dream come true. It’s a good feeling to be the first, but I hope I won’t be the last,” Williams told CWI Media.

“I’m truly honored to be given this amazing opportunity and I want to make sure I give my best when I take the field on Thursday. It is obvious that from what I have done so far in my career this would be a testimony to my work.

“Standing in full-member matches is something major for me. I don’t want to downplay the other international matches I officiated in before because that helped to prepare me for this. I am fully prepared.”

Williams added: “I am hoping that by virtue of other young females watching matches and seeing me in the middle as an umpire, it would inspire them to participate in cricket as players and as match officials. I am happy for the strides I have made so far, and I will always do my best so that those looking on will have someone to emulate.”

This is the first T20I between West Indies and England in Grenada. The match starts at 1:30 pm and fans in the West Indies will be able to catch the action LIVE in the Caribbean on Rush, the Flow Sports App, or the Sportsmax App and on TNT Sports in the UK. Visit the windiescricket.com website for further details on the live broadcast with our other media partners around the world.

West Indies lead the five-match series 1-0 following their impressive victory by four wickets in the opening contest at Kensingt0n Oval on Tuesday night thanks to a superb Player of the Match performance by Andre Russell.

MATCH OFFICIALS

Grenada National Stadium, Grenada

On-field umpires: Jacqueline Williams, Gregory Brathwaite

Television umpire: Leslie Reifer jr

Fourth umpire: Patrick Gustard

Match Referee: Sir Richie Richardson

FULL SQUADS

West Indies: Rovman Powell (captain), Shai Hope (vice-captain), Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Gudakesh Motie, Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd; Daren Sammy (Head Coach)

England: Jos Butler (captain), Harry Brook, Ben Duckett, Phil Salt, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Liam Livingstone, Rehan Ahmed, Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Tymal Mills, Adil Rashid, Reece Topley, John Turner; Matthew Mott (Head Coach)

SERIES MATCH SCHEDULE

12 December: 1st T20I – West Indies won by 4 wickets at – Kensington Oval, Barbados

14 December: 2nd T20I at Grenada National Stadium, Grenada (1:30pm/12.30pm Jamaica Time)

16 December: 3rd T20I at Grenada National Stadium, Grenada (1:30pm/12.30pm Jamaica Time)

19 December: 4th T20I at Brian Lara Academy, Trinidad (4pm/3pm Jamaica Time)

21 December: 5th T20I at Brian Lara Academy, Trinidad (4pm/3pm Jamaica Time)

The Paris Olympics and Euro 2024 will underpin next year’s sporting calendar.

Here, the PA news agency picks out 10 stars who are expected to shine.

Sky Brown

Britain’s skateboard superstar claimed an historic bronze medal at the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympics and will head to Paris as the reigning world champion in the park category. Still only 15, Brown has still not given up hope of also representing Team GB in the Olympic surfing event in Tahiti.

Simone Biles

One of the world’s greatest ever gymnasts launched a spectacular return in 2023, after an extended hiatus to prioritise mental health. With a remarkable four world golds, including in the prestigious women’s all-around, Biles once again set her stall out as the star to watch in Paris.

Noah Lyles

The US track star dazzled in 2023, winning gold in both 100m and 200m at the World Championships in Budapest. Looking to build on the 200m bronze he took in Tokyo, Lyles is intent on expanding his horizons by potentially also forming a part of the men’s 4x400m relay squad.

Jude Bellingham

England’s Bellingham has made a stunning start to his Real Madrid career, scoring 12 goals in his first 14 LaLiga appearances and also becoming the first player to score in each of his first four Champions League appearances for the club. A sensational platform at Euro 2024 in Germany awaits.

Sam Walters

The 6ft 6ins Walters was one of the more dependable figures in another testing rugby league season for Leeds Rhinos, so it came as a great surprise that he was allowed to leave to join rivals and reigning Super League champions Wigan. Walters’ speed and power can only make the champions stronger.

Jannik Sinner

Speedy baseliner Sinner has been threatening to move into serious grand slam title contention for some time and the signs are that 2024 could be his year. Sinner won two of four meetings with Novak Djokovic – including a dramatic Davis Cup rubber – and more of the same is seemingly assured for 2024.

Luca Brecel

He probably will not practice and will be one of the first to write off his chances. But enigmatic Belgian Luca Brecel will return to the Crucible in April as the defending world snooker champion – and one of the few top-level current players who can boast the stamina to get to the end of the 17 gruelling days.

Kylian Mbappe

Mbappe might not be in the best of moods in relation to his club career but his importance to France – and his ability to light up the game’s biggest stages – will be in evidence during Euro 2024. Moreover, Mbappe still harbours hopes of appearing as an over-age player at the Paris Olympics.

Keely Hodgkinson

So far it has been a career of so near yet so far for the British 800 metres ace, who has had to settle for silver medals at consecutive world championships, as well as the Tokyo Olympics and the Birmingham Commonwealth Games. All eyes will be on her bid to go one better in Paris.

Nat Sciver-Brunt

The all-rounder, who has landed a deal to play for Perth Scorchers in the next women’s Big Bash, will play a pivotal role when England are scheduled to head to Bangladesh in 2024 as one of the favourites to clinch the women’s T20 world title.

Outsiders often marvel at cricket’s ability to conjure a draw from matches that last five days at a time, but 2023 took the concept to extremes as two separate Ashes contests stretched across nearly seven weeks concluded with honours even.

And, as if to prove that the magic lies in the journey rather than the destination, it was by a distance the most gripping Ashes summer in a generation.

In the men’s series, two wonderfully matched teams scrapped tooth and claw as the ledger ended level at 2-2, England only denied a famous victory from two down by a 48-hour deluge in Manchester.

In the women’s multi-format match-up, finally afforded equal billing and staged concurrently at the peak of the season, things were just as tight. The decision to offer a five-day Test, rather than the four-day affairs that have so frequently forced draws, allowed a bold Australian victory in spite of Tammy Beaumont’s epic double century, tipping the scales heavily towards an away win.

Instead, Heather Knight’s team rallied to unseat the world’s most reliable white-ball winning machine in both the the T20 and ODI legs and tie the points score at 8-8.

In both instances the tourists retained the Ashes as holders, but in each case the rivalry was bolstered afresh. Pat Cummins’ Australia failed in their stated mission of winning behind enemy lines for the first time since 2001 – a permanent gap on the CVs of decorated veterans such as Steve Smith, David Warner and Mitchell Starc – while Alyssa Healy’s group saw the limited-overs dominance that forms their core identity challenged and eroded.

In a cricket landscape facing rapid, exponential change in the face of the franchise juggernaut, it was a timely reminder that the Ashes can still deliver in a vital, visceral way.

The memorable moments were vivid and plentiful. Zak Crawley kicked the whole circus off by crashing the first ball of the series through cover for four with a flourish that spoke a thousand words.

Lord’s brought a major flashpoint as Alex Carey ran out Jonny Bairstow in an act that was either elite opportunism or craven skullduggery, depending on your side of the divide.

In an unlikely twist, the famously genteel surroundings of the Long Room became the most expensively dressed bear pit in the sporting world and helped create a frisson that never quite went away. Ben Stokes’ defiantly doomed century on one good leg could not save that game but laid the ground for a profound shift in fortunes.

Chris Woakes and Mark Wood were late arrivals but star turns, Moeen Ali’s rollercoaster comeback ended on a grace note and Crawley hit a jaw-dropping 189 at Old Trafford before the prospect of a winner-takes-all decider fell foul of the rain.

It fell to Stuart Broad to provide a fitting final chapter, announcing his retirement midway through the match before penning his own perfect swansong at the Oval. He hit his final ball as a batter for six and walked into the sunset having taken the winning wicket with his last ever delivery.

Katharine Sciver-Brunt also bowed out after two decades as a standard-bearer in the women’s game. There was no fairytale finish here, a losing effort against South Africa in the T20 World Cup semi-final spelling the end of her Three Lions career, but the departure of the country’s record limited-overs wicket-taker leaves just as big a void.

That tournament was a disappointment for a team with their eyes on the top prize, but a roaring success compared to the efforts of England’s men in India. Looking to retain the 50-over crown they famously won at Lord’s in 2019, Jos Buttler and company produced a ripe contender for the most shambolic title defence ever seen in elite sport.

Near favourites at the start of the campaign, they lost six of their first seven games as they sleep-walked out of contention. Lacking identity, hopelessly out of form and shorn of intent they became the biggest scalp in Afghanistan’s history and were thrashed by a Sri Lanka side led by Chris Silverwood, the man they sacked 18 months earlier.

Buttler and head coach Matthew Mott lived to fight another day but barely had time to lick their wounds before being pressed back into action in the West Indies, where their latest one-day reset began in defeat.

In 2024 both teams will turn their attention to the 20-over format, with the men defending their 2022 title in the Caribbean and USA and Knight’s women eyeing an overdue T20 success of their own having previously triumphed in the inaugural edition 15 years ago.

Adil Rashid likened England team-mate Rehan Ahmed to a “younger brother” and is relieved the teenager would probably not have to endure the pitfalls he did in his early years.

England selected both frontline leg-spinners in their T20 series opener against the West Indies in Barbados and were vindicated as the pair shared five of the home side’s six wickets to fall.

Rashid, who made his 100th T20 international appearance in England’s four-wicket defeat at the Kensington Oval, thinks he relies more on flight and variations, while reckoning Ahmed bowls quicker.

But Rashid, 35, does view Ahmed as his protege and the duo might end up dovetailing in England’s T20 World Cup defence next year in the Caribbean and United States if they continue to impress in tandem.

“That’s way down the line,” Rashid said. “There’s a lot of cricket yet to be played. Myself and Rehan are going to keep coming out, try to do the best we can and leave the rest to the selectors.

“But I definitely look at him as a younger brother. He’s 19. He’s got his own journey. We’re completely different bowlers. He’s got the tricks. He’s got the ability and he’s got the confidence.

“We’re always talking; just keeping it simple, enjoying it and let nature take its course. The more he plays and the more experience he gets, things will get better for him.”

Rashid marked his landmark appearance on Tuesday by becoming the first England male bowler to take 100 wickets in the format although it was not always such smooth sailing in his career.

He first earned England recognition in 2009 but leg-spin was still a distrusted art at the time and after a couple of innocuous displays, he was thrown on the scrapheap for half-a-dozen years.

It was only through careful nurturing during Eoin Morgan’s transformative captaincy of England’s white-ball sides from 2015 onwards that Rashid got back in – and he has hardly looked back.

Rashid is pleased that Ahmed, who bounced back from conceding 19 in his first over to record figures of three for 39 against the Windies, should not have to suffer a similar fate.

“As time’s gone on, it’s definitely got a lot better in that sense and people understanding more about leg-spin which is a great thing,” the double World Cup winner said.

“It’s completely different from 2009, times have moved on. You always learn as time goes on, you always develop and with Rehan now, with what he’s doing, hopefully he can develop as he is.”

England falling behind in the five-match series continues a disappointing sequence of white-ball results after their shock group-stage exit at the World Cup and an ODI series loss to the Windies.

They have precious little time to digest their latest setback as the series resumes on Thursday in Grenada, where Reece Topley could play his first match since a broken finger ended his World Cup early.

England’s bowlers leaked 14 sixes to the Windies’ battery of big-hitters, but Rashid insisted conviction remained high within the group despite limited success of late.

“You can’t always win World Cups. You can’t win series every time,” Rashid said. “Obviously we’d love to do that but it’s part and parcel of sport.

“It’s not just in cricket, in football you see the best in the world – one minute they win a World Cup, the next minute, they lose. That’s just natural and part of life.

“We’re still confident and have got belief in ourselves, we’ve still got a really aggressive team. All we’ve got to do is go out there and just really have that self-belief in ourselves.”

As for whether he took any satisfaction from his achievements, Rashid added: “It’s always nice to get a milestone like that for myself but it would have been better if I’d got the milestone and we’d won.”

West Indies captain Hayley Matthews has hailed the launch of the Barbados Royals Girls Cricket club in her native Barbados as a significant developmental move for women’s cricket on the island.

“I think it is huge. It is something that we definitely needed in Barbados for a long time now,” Matthews said.

The club was launched this past weekend at the Passage Road Playing Field in St Michael, and big names in attendance included Matthews, former England captain Mike Gatting, West Indies Women’s T20 World Cup winner Stacey-Ann King, and West Indies selector Roland Butcher, the first black man to play for international cricket England.

Barbados Royals Girls Cricket Club will seek to provide mentorship and resources to 100 young ladies as they seek to foster their cricket development.

“I honestly think it’s something that has been needed for a very long time and that’s why I’m so happy to see it come to fruition. Hopefully we can see this thing really take off and present girls with a lot more opportunities,” said the 25-year-old Matthews, currently ranked as the World No.1 all-rounder in Women’s T20 cricket.

“I think that to be able to give young girls from age six and up the opportunity to be able to come out here and fall in love with the game of cricket is a great first step in Barbados and hopefully we can (more) see stuff like this moving forward,” she added.

West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell says he might sign off from international cricket at the end of next year’s Twenty20 World Cup, as he believes the region possesses enough young talent to fill the gap after his departure.

The explosive player's declaration followed his much-anticipated return to action for the West Indies on Tuesday, when he produced an inspiring performance with both bat and ball to lead the Caribbean side to a four-wicket win over England in the first of five T20s.

Russell took a format-best three for 19 in his first international since the 2021 T20 World Cup, which induced an England collapse from 117 for two in the 11th over to 171 all out, with three balls unused.

He later smashed a 14-ball 29, in an unbroken 49-run partnership with captain Rovman Powell, who made a 15-ball 31, to see West Indies to their highest successful run chase at Kensington Oval in Barbados.

The 35-year-old Jamaican, who expressed delight at being back in the fold, pointed out that the World Cup, to be hosted in the West Indies and United States, will be his last, but in the same breath, said he would be happy to return, if needed.

"It all depends on how the World Cup goes for me for me. To be honest, I still have a lot in the tank but based on discussion with the coach [Darren Sammy], I told him that after World Cup I would walk away from international cricket, but if they need me, I will come out of retirement," Russell said with sweat still trickling down his face after his player of the match performance.

"So that's the plan that I have; there are so many young talents here, all-rounders that are similar to myself, so sometimes you realize you're going into 36, so just give the youngsters the opportunity and if West Indies still need me, I would be willing to put in the hard yards for them to be honest," he added.

With questions surrounding his decision to comeback after a two-year absence, Russell explained that it was always on the cards, provided he performed well in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) a few months back.

"Sammy mentioned that once I did what I had to in CPL he would definitely enter my name for selection, and I had my fingers crossed because I always want to play for West Indies. Sometimes people might think otherwise and think we just want to play leagues, but I try to make sure that I look after my body to ensure that when I am called up, I am ready. So, I was ready and excited for this call up," he shared.

For Russell, the performance in which he removed dangerous opener Phil Salt, Liam Livingstone and Rehan Ahmed in his four overs, was almost as if scripted, as he revealed that he had dreamed of the outcome.

“Since I got the call up, I have been dreaming that my first match back, I would be player of the match. I loved the start that I got, picking up an important wicket, and then start to pull it back in the middle,” Russell said.

“I was excited to see all the guys there, trying to make sure that the plan that we discussed in the huddle came out and you know it was good to pull it back from a high scoring game to 170. We know how good of a quality spinners England have, so it was good to actually restrict them, and we could have some push and comfort to get the score,” he noted.

Finally, Russell, like the professional he is, dodged a bouncer when asked about the pending departure of Jason Holder, Nicholas Pooran and Kyle Mayers, who all rejected the Cricket West Indies central contract.

“I was just scrolling on Google, and I saw that, I don't know what's going on really, but I won't get into that to be honest. I'm here to play cricket and I'm just happy that I can wear this crest on my chest. So, with off the field stuff like that, they must know why they turned down the retainer,” Russell said.

The second contest is scheduled for Grenada on Thursday.

Andrew Flintoff told Adil Rashid he “epitomises everything that England cricket is about” after presenting the leg-spinner with a cap to mark his 100th T20 international match.

Flintoff is continuing his ad hoc role as a team mentor for England in their five T20s against the West Indies and, ahead of the series opener, he spoke glowingly of Rashid before his landmark appearance.

In the team huddle before England’s four-wicket loss in Barbados, Flintoff recalled his first memories of a then 20-year-old Rashid when they were at opposite ends of their playing careers in late 2008.

Rashid, now 35, has since gone on to establish himself as one of the finest white-ball bowlers of his era, helping England win both ODI and T20 World Cup trophies.

But Flintoff also shone a light on the work Rashid does away from the field, including mentoring the next generation at his academy in Yorkshire and the advice he doles out to spinners of all ages.

“I remember you coming into the side as this young lad, full of mystery, full of wonder, full of mischief and loads and loads of ability,” Flintoff said in a video released by www.ecb.co.uk.

“Over the years, everyone in this group: myself and anybody who’s played with you has been so proud at how you’ve gone about your business – a multiple World Cup winner, the best in the business at what you do around the world but more importantly, Rash, you as a person.

“You’re such an integral part of this squad and the other thing is you give back, whether it’s in Bradford with your academies (or) the other day I saw you spending all this time with a leg-spinner, a young kid, and just coaching him. To me that is just as important as everything else you do.

“To me, you epitomise everything that England cricket is about. It’s a privilege for me to tour with you, it’s a privilege for me to give you this cap.

“So Rash, come and get this cap, (it is) 100 but you’ve not stopped yet, there’s plenty more in you. Well done, son.”

During the English summer, Flintoff presented Tom Hartley with his maiden England cap, telling his fellow Lancastrian: “This will change your life forever.”

The ex-England captain also touched upon “the hardest time” of his life in his message to Hartley after a crash on the BBC show Top Gear in December last year that left him with facial and rib injuries.

Jos Buttler lamented England’s batting, but admitted they must find a way to restrict the West Indies, whose six-hitting prowess saw them claim a four-wicket win in the T20 opener.

England raced to 77 for none at the end of the powerplay, then 112 for two at halfway, but collapsed to 171 all out in 19.3 overs, losing their last five wickets for six runs in 15 balls in Barbados.

Adil Rashid marked his 100th T20 appearance – he was presented with his cap by Andrew Flintoff – with two for 25 and became the first English male bowler to collect 100 wickets in the format.

But the Windies batters lived up to their reputation as big hitters, bludgeoning 14 sixes in total, possibly aided by a half-hour rain delay that made bowling conditions trickier.

Buttler accepted figuring out how to stop them so readily being able to clear the rope must be a priority for England’s bowlers in the remaining four matches.

“From the position we were in at halfway, to only end up with 170 is an area we could have improved in,” Buttler said. “The wicket definitely got harder and the West Indies adapted.

“They hit a lot of sixes as a team, that’s something that is a trademark of their side and we’ve got to find ways to limit that. Obviously the swing in the game with sixes is so big.

“You’ve got to find ways to get it out the arc, try and find ways to take wickets as well, be aggressive and be committed. It’s a great test for us and we’ll find out lots over the next few games.

“But certainly we need to find a way to score 20-25 more runs in that phase which would have been a really good score on that wicket.”

Veteran all-rounder Andre Russell marked his first international appearance since the 2021 T20 World Cup with three for 19 and an unbeaten 29 off 14 balls, as the Windies won with 11 balls to spare.

He is a regular on the franchise circuit, but has been coaxed back into the Windies set-up by former team-mate and now head coach Darren Sammy just a few months before they co-host the T20 World Cup.

“I still have a lot left in the tank, but based on discussions with the coach I told him that after the World Cup, I would walk away from international cricket,” the 35-year-old said.

“But if they need me, I will come out of retirement. If West Indies should still need me, I would be willing to put in the hard yards for them. I always want to play for West Indies.

“Sometimes people might think it’s all about playing leagues and all of those things, but I try to make sure that I look after my body and make sure that when this call up is here, I’m ready.”

England have no time to lick their wounds after a miserable World Cup and ODI series defeat against the Windies was followed by another setback here, with the second T20 on Thursday in Grenada.

They were vindicated in selecting two leg-spinners as Rashid and Ahmed shared five of the six Windies wickets and the pair are set to feature in two matches in Grenada and another couple in Trinidad.

“It was great to see them operate together,” the England captain added. “We need to find out if it’s an option here before we get to the World Cup.

Rashid continues to shine for England and will almost certainly be instrumental in their T20 World Cup defence in six months’ time.

“He was class again,” Buttler said. “He’s been a key player for England for such a long period of time, to reach 100 caps shows his longevity, his skill and he’s been such an important member of our team.”