England will be the team to beat in limited-overs cricket over the next couple of years, according to former Australia captain Steve Waugh.

Australia's old enemy won the T20 World Cup in Melbourne on Sunday, beating Pakistan in the final, having also secured the 50-over World Cup in 2019.

The host nation did not make it out of the Super 12 stage after failing to recover from a heavy opening defeat to New Zealand.

Speaking to Stats Perform at the Laureus Challenge 2022, presented by Sierra Space, Waugh said Australia's performance in the tournament had been disappointing and tipped England to face motivated opposition now they are on top of both formats of limited-overs cricket.

"It was our home World Cup, I guess the fans expected Australia to do well but they didn't make the semi-finals, which was disappointing," Waugh conceded. "They weren't at their best and in T20, winning, it's a very fine line. If you're not 100 per cent in the game, you're gonna lose the match. And so Australia probably didn't deserve to be in the semi-finals.

"England, I think, were the best team overall so they deserved to win it, [and] Pakistan put up a good show.

"But [for] England it's pretty exciting to win both the 50-over World Cup and now the 20-over World Cup... They've set a benchmark for themselves, every other side is going to be trying to beat them in the next couple of years."

Waugh played in 168 Test matches for Australia between 1985 and 2004, scoring 10,927 runs at an average of 51.06, as well as making 325 ODI appearances, with an average of 32.90.

Asked why he thought Australia struggled at the T20 World Cup, Waugh said: "I just think they didn't really click. The first game against New Zealand was a really bad result, they lost by 90 runs, and that put pressure on their run rate and almost threw them off balance all the way through.

"The captain [Aaron Finch] was a bit out of form. So maybe that was a bit unsettling in the team. But overall, they just weren't on their game. Their fielding wasn't up to scratch and they looked a bit sluggish."

It was England who took the trophy, though, with Ben Stokes hitting his first ever T20I half-century as his team beat Pakistan by five wickets in the final.

"I think it was an entertaining final [and] it could have gone either way," Waugh said. "But England had that man called Ben Stokes, who seems to perform in those pressure situations and has almost got a bit of a Midas touch in the big games."

Despite the hosts' struggles, Waugh still feels the event was a success, with big crowds turning up to games.

"The crowds were huge," he said. "One hundred thousand people saw India play Pakistan at the MCG... The people loved it.

"T20 cricket is a real social event. Young people go and watch it, have a good time. And it's exciting, they get a quick result. And they can see another game the next day."

The celebratory drinks have barely been consumed and England's World Cup heroes are having to put the pads on again.

Just five days after beating Pakistan to win the T20 World Cup in Melbourne, Jos Buttler will lead his team out at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday to take on Australia in the first of three one-day internationals.

The tourists have not been shy in pointing out the relentlessness of the cricket schedule, with Moeen Ali calling it "horrible", while coach Matthew Mott added "it's not ideal".

However, while Buttler agrees with the sentiment, the England skipper has no doubts that playing against the old enemy will be more than enough motivation for them.

"It's tough, I think, absolutely. But we just get on with it," he told reporters. "It is a fast turnaround. There's no point hiding away that it will be a challenge for us, having had such a high a few days ago.

"Once you get over the line and you're playing against Australia, I'm sure those competitive juices will get going."

With the 50-over World Cup in India just 11 months away, both teams need to be thinking about their preparations already, with Australia having a point to prove after an insipid defence of their T20 title in their own country.

The hosts' loss against New Zealand in their opener and an inability to post a sufficient run rate in other games ultimately saw them crash out at the Super 12 stage, and watching England win it all at the MCG must have made it a more bitter pill to swallow. 

Pat Cummins leads the team having taken over the captaincy from Aaron Finch, and has reason to be confident with a very strong side selected and a good recent record in the 50-over format.

Australia beat England 2-1 in their most recent ODI series in September 2020, and have won their past four ODI series at home; their last home series defeat coming against India in January 2019.

They will hope to take advantage of a tired England, though will have to be wary of a team that seems to be finding its feet in limited overs cricket again under Mott and Buttler.

Performing at the death

Death overs are often where games are won and lost, and this could be where Australia come into their own. Cummins has a bowling dot ball percentage of 57 per cent during the last 10 overs in men's ODIs in 2022, with only Afghanistan trio Mohammad Nabi (67 per cent), Yamin Ahmadzai (60 per cent) and Rashid Khan (58 per cent) having a better rate among players from Test-playing countries (minimum of five overs bowled).

In addition, Cameron Green has a bowling average of 3.2 during these death overs (41st-50th) in 2022, the best of any player from a Test-playing country (minimum of two overs bowled).

Roy returns seeking run milestone

One England player with added motivation will be Jason Roy, who was overlooked for Alex Hales at the T20 World Cup.

Roy is just 46 runs away from becoming the 12th player to score 4,000 for England in men's ODIs; if he achieves the milestone in Adelaide, his 102nd in the format, he will become the second-fastest England player to reach it after Joe Root (91 innings).

Moeen Ali has bemoaned a "horrible" schedule that will see England start an ODI series against Australia four days after winning the T20 World Cup.

Jos Buttler's side became the first team to be both T20I and 50-over world champions at the same time with a five-wicket victory over Pakistan in the final at the MCG on Sunday.

After playing seven World Cup matches in a period of just over three weeks, England will remain in Australia for a three-match ODI series that starts at Adelaide Oval on Thursday.

Moeen is among nine members of the T20 World Cup squad who will face Australia, but the all-rounder feels they should be taking some hard-earned time off.

"It's been happening for a while," he said. "As a group we want to enjoy and celebrate and have that time because you put so much into it as well. It's not just while the tournament is going on, there's the pre-tournament, the build-up and all that.

"Having a game in three days' time, it's horrible. As players we're kind of getting used to it now. But to give 100 per cent all the time is difficult when you're playing every two, three days.

"We have to do it and while we're here we might as well do it, it would be better than going back and then having to come back out another time."

England white-ball head coach Matthew Mott also feels the schedule is asking a lot of the players.

"We always saw that series as being something that we will have to be really professional about," said Mott.

"Cricket is a funny game: we have long breaks off in the white-ball game but when we're on, we're on. We've got to enjoy this victory, they don't come around very often so there'll be no disguising the fact that we will enjoy this.

"But come game day, we've got to turn up and make sure we put out a great effort. For the white-ball team in particular, we get through those three games and then there's a long break. So that'll be the time to properly let the hair down and enjoy it, but the schedule is the schedule and we've got to move with it."

Imran Khan, the cricket great who went on to become prime minister of Pakistan, was injured in a targeted assassination attempt on Thursday, his supporters said.

The political party that he founded, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), said the 70-year-old was attacked as the seventh day of a march began in Wazirabad.

Khan's political ally Farrukh Habib, who serves as the PTI's central information secretary, wrote on Twitter: "Imran Khan is injured, may Allah protect him, the whole nation should pray for the life of Imran Khan."

The PTI said it was an assassination attempt.

The party added: "Imran Khan is our Red Lion – today an attempt was made to cross that Red Lion!"

Reports said he had been shot in the leg. A video was posted on the PTI Twitter account showing Khan waving to supporters after the attack, with the party saying his condition was "stable" and that he would be taken to hospital.

Sibghatullah Virk, the head of PTI’s central media department, said: "The march was completely peaceful, this is a murderous attack!"

As a cricketer, Imran Khan was a fast bowling all-rounder who played 88 Tests, scoring 3,807 runs and taking 362 wickets, while also playing 175 ODIs.

He played his last Test in January 1992, ending his international career in March of the same year by leading Pakistan to victory at the Cricket World Cup, playing a starring role in the final against England at the MCG.

He became prime minister of Pakistan in August 2018 and was ousted after a no-confidence vote in April of this year.

Hardik Pandya and Shikhar Dhawan will captain India's T20I and ODI squads respectively on their November tour of New Zealand after Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul were rested.

Hardik will lead India when they begin their tour of New Zealand with the first of three T20Is in Wellington on November 18 – just five days after the T20 World Cup in Australia ends.

One week later, they begin a three-match one-day series at Eden Park in Auckland, in which Dhawan – who led India on a tour of the West Indies earlier this year – will take the captaincy.

Rohit, Kohli and Rahul will all miss the trip to New Zealand, but as many as eight other players currently in Australia for the World Cup will be in attendance.

Hardik, Rishabh Pant, Deepak Hooda, Suryakumar Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Arshdeep Singh have all been selected for the T20I series, with Pant named vice-captain for the entire tour.

There was no place in either squad for Jasprit Bumrah or Ravindra Jadeja, however, after the duo were forced to miss the World Cup through injury.

Australia have made Pat Cummins their 27th one-day international captain.

Cummins already captains the nation's Test side and will now double up on leadership duties after replacing Aaron Finch as ODI skipper.

Finch retired from the format last month and fast bowler Cummins acknowledged he would be a tough act to follow.

"I have thoroughly enjoyed playing under Finchy and have learnt an enormous amount from his leadership," Cummins said.

"They are significant shoes to fill, although we are extremely fortunate to have a one-day squad with a huge amount of experience."

There had been reports that David Warner could see his lifetime leadership ban ended and he would assume the role, but this announcement puts an end to that speculation.

A proposed amendment to Cricket Australia's integrity code would have paved the way for Warner to take on the job, four years on from his involvement in a ball-tampering scandal.

However, it will be Cummins who leads the side when Australia take on England in a three-match series in November.

David Warner could have his lifetime ban on captaining Australia lifted.

Cricket Australia (CA) ruled that the opening batter would never hold a leadership role again due to his part in the 2018 Newlands ball-tampering scandal.

Warner was seen to have been a main protagonist in Cameron Bancroft using sandpaper to try and alter the condition of the ball during the Test against South Africa in Cape Town four years ago.

The 35-year-old has been mentioned as a candidate to replace Aaron Finch as ODI skipper after he stepped down last month.

With CA directors looking at rewriting the governing body's code of ethics, Warner may get another opportunity to lead his country.

"The view within Cricket Australia is that David is doing particularly well on the field and making a great contribution off the field," CA chairman Lachlan Henderson said. 

"The first step in terms of David's leadership ban is to review the code and see if those sanctions are able to be reviewed. And the appropriate revisions to that code that would need to be made.

Henderson added: "Our intention is to review the code as quick as is practical. It's not in anyone's interest for us to delay that. It would be in time for any future leadership conversations in relation to David."

Finch remains Australia's T20 captain for the World Cup on home soil.

India strolled to a crushing seven-wicket victory over South Africa at Arun Jaitley Stadium to seal a 2-1 ODI series win after the Proteas were bowled out for just 99 on Tuesday.

It was only the fourth time in ODI history South Africa have been skittled for fewer than 100 runs, and the first time it has happened to them against India.

The hosts' spinners took centre-stage in Delhi, with Washington Sundar, Shahbaz Ahmed and Kuldeep Yadav tearing through South Africa in brutal fashion.

India then made light work of their chase, reaching 105-3 to wrap up a commendable series win.

South Africa never managed to find much momentum. Quinton de Kock (six) was quickly dismissed by Sundar (2-15), and although Janneman Malan (15) held out a little longer, Mohammed Siraj (2-17) soon toppled him.

Heinrich Klaasen (34) offered some resistance, but South Africa were already heading for a hiding when he was removed by Ahmed (2-32), as Aiden Markram, Reeza Hendricks, David Miller and Andile Phehlukwayo all failed to reach double digits.

The latter fell to Yadav, who took four of South Africa's last five wickets to post figures of 4-18, with India heading into bat with great confidence.

A miraculous turnaround never looked likely, with Shubman Gill (49) looking sharp before unfortunately getting halted leg before his half-century by Lungi Ngidi.

Nevertheless, Shreyas Iyer (28) got India over the line with 185 balls remaining, finishing with a flourish as he hit Marco Jansen (0-43) for six.

Just keep spinning

The pitch was considered an inviting one for seamers, but it proved to be India's spinners who did the damage.

Siraj, Sundar and Yadav took eight between them, though the latter was undoubtedly the standout as he ripped through South Africa with little fuss, taking four wickets in total.

Unsurprisingly, he was named Player of the Match.

Gill unfortunate

It would have been a deserved 50 for Gill if he had just hung on a little longer. Ultimately dismissed for 49, his total included eight fours as he generally fended off the South Africa attack impressively.

It would have been easy for India to go into bat with a bit of complacency given South Africa's dire total, but there was no sign of that from Gill.

India bowler Deepak Chahar faces a race back to fitness for the T20 World Cup after being ruled out of the final two ODIs against South Africa due to a back injury.

The 30-year-old was absent for the first match of the ODI series on Thursday, which South Africa won by nine runs, after struggling with a back issue in the third T20I against the Proteas earlier in the month.

With the World Cup following in Australia later in October, India have been dealt another injury blow having also lost quick Jasprit Bumrah to injury.

Chahar was named as a reserve for the World Cup, alongside fellow seamer Mohammed Shami, though the extent of the former's injury remains unknown as he heads back to Bengaluru to be monitored.

It is not the first time Chahar has suffered injury problems having already missed six months of action this year due to fitness issues.

All-rounder Washington Sundar has been called up as Chahar's replacement for the remainder of the ODI series in South Africa.

South Africa claimed a fourth successive ODI victory over India as they kick-started their three-match series with a nine-run win in Lucknow, despite Sanju Samson's efforts.

With rain reducing the match to 40 overs per innings, India won the toss and put the tourists into bat on Thursday.

Despite a flurry of wickets between the 13th and 16th overs, with Shardul Thakur (2-35) the pick of India's bowlers, Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller remained unbeaten on 74 and 75 respectively to guide the Proteas to 249-4.

Quinton de Kock scored 48 from 54 deliveries before being dismissed by Ravi Bishnoi, but Miller and Klaasen combined for a 139-run partnership to see out the innings.

Wayne Parnell and Kagiso Rabada set about damaging India's response, with Shubman Gill and Shikhar Dhawan falling inside the opening six overs.

More quickfire losses followed for India in the 17th and 18th overs – Ruturaj Gaikwad stumped and Ishan Kishan caught out – but the hosts had won their last seven ODIs and had resistance in them.

Shreyas Iyer's 50 included eight fours, before he was dismissed by Lungi Ngidi (3-52), yet with Samson, India had hope.

The wicketkeeper struck an unbeaten 86, leading a team flurry of 63 runs off the final five overs. The onslaught ultimately came too late, though.

Samson's stand not enough

India's wicketkeeper batted superbly, striking 12 boundaries in a career-best innings and holding firm against South Africa's deadly attack. He had decent support from Shardul Thakur (33), though in the end could not carry the tail through. 

South Africa have not lost to India in a bilateral ODI series since February 2018, and the rest of the hosts batters must show similar levels to Samson if they are to end that run.

Klaasen and Miller the difference

With India's bowlers failing to perform at their best – Mohammed Siraj failed to take a wicket and Bishnoi was particularly expensive, conceding 69 runs – it still took some fine batting from South Africa's sixth-wicket pair to clinch victory.

Between them, Klaasen and Miller hit 16 boundaries, including five sixes, to ultimately take the game away from India.

South Africa all-rounder Dwaine Pretorius has been ruled out of the T20 World Cup with a fractured left thumb.

Pretorius sustained the injury during the Proteas' victory over India in the final match of the T20I series on Tuesday.

The 33-year-old will play no part in the three-match ODI series against India or the upcoming World Cup in Australia.

"The nature of the injury requires surgical intervention and Dwaine will consult the Cricket South Africa designated hand surgeon on arrival in South Africa," Cricket South Africa chief medical officer Dr Shuaib Manjra said.

"Normal rehabilitation procedures will follow to ensure he speedily returns to playing cricket."

Pretorius was the joint-highest wicket-taker for South Africa in the T20 World Cup last year.

He is set to be replaced by Marco Jansen or Andile Phehlukwayo, who were named as reserves along with Bjorn Fortuin.

South Africa had already lost batter Rassie van der Dussen due to a fractured finger.

South Africa will host England in a rearranged one-day international series early next year.

The two sides were due to contest the three-match series in 2020, but England flew home following the Twenty20 International matches due to concerns about COVID-19.

Temba Bavuma's side will instead face the world champions at the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein on January 27 and January 29, with the series finishing at the Kimberley Oval on February 1.

The Proteas will also take on West Indies in two Tests, the first starting SuperSport Park on February 28 and the second getting under way at The Wanderers on March 8.

South Africa then face three ODIs and as many T20Is against the Windies before two matches versus the Netherlands in the 50-over format.

Cricket South Africa (CSA) chief executive Pholetsi Moseki said: "South Africa is fast becoming the home-soul for international cricket. We are a proud cricketing nation, with abundance of talent, grit, and temperament for the game.

"CSA is thrilled to be hosting England, West Indies and the Netherlands, all worthy opponents, in what is billed to be an exciting summer of international cricket.

"This is principally good news to our fans who have been starved of the blend of cricket on offer at stadiums since 2020 pandemic. These bumper fixtures confirm that cricket in South Africa is indeed open for business.

"As we look forward to hosting these cricketing powerhouses, we invite our fans to swell the stadiums in numbers to support the Proteas as they lock horns with the best in the world."

The Cricket West Indies (CWI) Women’s Selection Panel has announced the 13-member squad for the first and second T20 Internationals (T20Is) against New Zealand Women to be played on Wednesday 28 September and Saturday 1 October at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium. 

Sheneta Grimmond returns to the West Indies Women’s squad since last playing against South Africa Women in September 2021. The right-arm off-spinner comes into the squad to replace all-rounder Stafanie Taylor, who is ruled out of the first two T20I matches after retiring hurt in the third and final CG United ODI on Sunday 25 September. Grimmond had an impressive showing in the 6ixty and Massy Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) with her team, the Trinbago Knight Riders, taking four wickets in the 6ixty and three wickets in the WCPL.

Lead Selector for Women’s Selection Panel, Ann Browne-John said: “In the CG United ODI series, there were some very promising performances. The victory in the final match showed a lot of grit and determination. Aaliyah Alleyne, who was included for the final match, shone both with bat and ball.”

Browne-John added: “The Panel is now able to build on this as we continue to develop players. This five match series forms part of the team’s preparation for the upcoming T20 World Cup. Unfortunately, Stafanie Taylor has been ruled out of these two matches after being injured while batting in the third CG United ODI. This squad for the 1^st and 2^nd T20I sees the return of off-spinner Sheneta Grimmond who had a good WCPL performance, and we believe her off-spin will provide added support to the other off-spinners, Hayley Matthews and Karishma Ramharack.”

This five-match series serves as vital preparation for both teams in the leadup to the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in South Africa from 9 to 26 February 2023.

West Indies squad for 1st and 2nd T20Is

West Indies captain Hayley Matthews has risen to number one on the ICC’s latest women’s All-rounder rankings in One-Day Internationals.

The Barbadian most recently led the Windies in a home ODI series against New Zealand which they lost 2-1.

Matthews scored 88 runs in the three games, the most for West Indies, and also picked up five wickets, which took her to the No. 1 position on the allrounders' table, a jump of three positions past Australia’s Ellyse Perry, England’s Nat Sciver and South Africa’s Marizanne Kapp.

The 24-year-old Matthews has so far played 72 ODIs since her debut in 2014, scoring 1852 runs at an average of 27.23 with three hundreds and six fifties. She also has 83 wickets at an average of 24.27 with three four-wicket hauls.

England captain Heather Knight has accused India of lying after Deepti Sharma claimed Charlie Dean had been warned before being subjected to a 'Mankad' at Lord's on Saturday.

India sealed a 16-run win and a 3-0 ODI series whitewash when Deepti did not go through with her delivery stride, instead whipping off the bails with Dean out of her ground backing up.

Dean had to be consoled after a dismissal that was within the laws, but sparked a huge debate with many believing Deepti was out of order for not acting within the spirit of the game.

Deepti claimed Dean had been warned about leaving her crease.

She said: "Nothing, it was our plan because she repeatedly... we had warned her also. We did it according to the rules and guidelines."

Asked if a warning had been issued, she added: "Yes, yes definitely we did say because we told the umpires. But still she was there so we couldn't do anything."

Knight, who was not playing in the game as she recovers from hip surgery, says that was not the case.

She tweeted: "The game is over, Charlie was dismissed legitimately. India were deserved winners of the match and the series. But no warnings were given. They don't need to be given, so it hasn't made the dismissal any less legitimate…

"But if they're comfortable with the decision to affect [sic] the run out, India shouldn't feel the need to justify it by lying about warnings."

India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur stated after the game in London that she was not aware that Deepti was planning to 'Mankad' Dean.

She said: "No, I wasn't aware. And that's what I'm saying. I'm actually happy [Deepti] was aware because she was bowling from both ends in the middle and she knew [Dean] was going and I think it was her awareness."