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He also confirmed his participation in the SA20 in January, though his “absolute priority” is still playing for New Zealand

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Jun-2024Kane Williamson has confirmed that the SA20 will be his destination in January, after he declined a New Zealand central contract for the 2024-25 season, but added it was no indication that his international career was nearing an end.Williamson stressed that it was NZC’s rules around player availability to be eligible for a contract – they have to play Super Smash if not on international duty – that led him to make the decision, and that he remains committed to New Zealand outside of heading to South Africa.It could be that the only international cricket he misses is three ODIs and three T20Is against Sri Lanka, although reported there was some doubt over his participation in the one-off Test against Afghanistan in September. Williamson will play the WTC series against Sri Lanka and India away, the three-match home series against England, and then make an ODI trip to Pakistan ahead of the Champions Trophy in February.Related

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“There’s a number of great competitions on during that time, but SA20 looks really exciting,” Williamson told reporters on his return to New Zealand after the T20 World Cup. “Unfortunately, it meant turning down a central contract, however my priority still is, absolutely, playing for New Zealand. Think I miss maybe a handful of games over a three-week period.”It’s simply the contract, the rules that currently exist meant I wasn’t able to have one but in terms of playing for New Zealand I’m not missing almost any cricket really, so that was important to me.”In terms of how far Williamson’s international career extends, the reported that he and NZC CEO Scott Weenink had discussed the 2028 T20 World Cup to be staged in New Zealand and Australia when he would be 38. Publicly, Williamson remained coy although acknowledged major events and series – such as the Test series in Australia in 2026-27 – remained on his radar.”I want to play as long as I can,” he said. “I’ve really, really enjoyed my time captaining and it’s been a privilege and an honour to do that for a number of years. I’m excited with what’s next for the team in terms of the leadership as well and looking forward to being part of that.”In terms of a timeframe, it’s difficult to say. Want to keep being fit, doing as well as I can, keep trying to improve. That [2028] is a number of years away and it’s a year at a time. All major events and key series are things that whet the appetite and are an exciting prospect. They are down the line. Managing my time as well as I can after doing it for so many years is important and I know New Zealand Cricket are really supportive of that.”Williamson added that he was keen to continue international cricket across three formats, although his T20 spot may come under scrutiny as the team rebuilds from their group stage exit in West Indies.”Naturally after major events there are always different decisions that are made and you are always looking to bring different players through, but being part of this team is so dear to me and I want to remain in that community as long as I can, and as long as I’m offering value,” he said.Meanwhile, Weenink said that the casual playing arrangement afforded to Williamson would only be offered to a handful of senior players, citing Trent Boult, who opted out of a central contract in 2022, and Tim Southee as others who had earned that option. However, Test captain Southee is expected to be on the next contract list.”Those guys have certainly earned the right to be treated in a certain way, in that we want to try and prolong their careers,” Weenink told the . “If we had a hard and fast rule around certain players like Kane Williamson, we would lose him to playing for New Zealand earlier than we would need to.”That casual contract is not going to be offered to everyone and going off contract is pretty risky. There’s a lot of advantages to being on a New Zealand central contract and we will be prioritising the players who are centrally contracted.”

The offspinner, who has faced scrutiny over his action in the past, will need to undergo independent assessment within 14 days

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Aug-2025South Africa allrounder Prenelan Subrayen has been reported for a suspect bowling action following the first ODI against Australia on Tuesday in Cairns.The offspinner took 1 for 46 in his ten overs, dismissing opener Travis Head as South Africa went 1-0 up with a 98-run win. This was the 31-year-old Subrayen’s ODI debut, which came almost two months after he earned his first Test cap against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo.Related

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Subrayen now needs to undergo an independent assessment of his action at an ICC-accredited testing facility within 14 days which South Africa are hoping he can do in Brisbane at Cricket Australia’s National Cricket Centre where Australia’s left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann was tested earlier this year. Bowlers are permitted 15 degrees of elbow extension while delivering the ball and he is allowed to continue bowling in matches until the results of his test are known. But South Africa coach Shukri Conrad said on Thursday that the team has decided Subrayen will not play until he has completed the testing process.”He’s available to play,” Conrad said. “You are allowed to play until you get tested.””We just felt that less noise and get him out of the public eye, make sure he is okay and focuses on the testing.”The process is to get him tested as soon as we can and we are looking to do it in Brisbane. That suits everyone. We are going to the UK via Brisbane so hopefully we can get it sooner rather than later.”This is not the first time the Subrayen has faced scrutiny over his action. In December 2012, Cricket South Africa (CSA) placed him under rehabilitation after two separate independent tests deemed his action illegal. He was cleared to bowl again in January 2013 after undergoing remedial work and re-testing.Subrayen was reported in September 2014 during the Champions League T20 tournament in India, and once more during a domestic T20 game in November 2015, and suspended from bowling after an assessment of his action found all his deliveries to exceed the 15-degree limit. He failed a re-assessment in January 2016, and was eventually cleared to resume bowling after having his action cleared at the CSA’s High Performance Centre in March 2016.”He has gone through this process before,” Conrad said. “It’s never easy. It’s taken him a long time to make his debut and we are rallying around him. Next week will reveal a lot and we will take it from there.”They’ve [the ICC] flagged 12 balls which they’ve forwarded to us. He has got to emulate those 12 balls during the test. We are going to be sending our bowling coach (Piet Botha) with him for support and for us to gain some knowledge about how these things work.”The second and third ODIs, which are the last two matches of South Africa’s white-ball tour of Australia, will be played on August 22 and 24 in Mackay.

Phil Salt fifty, Fazalhaq Farooqi’s three wickets seal victory at Lord’s

ECB Media09-Aug-2024Inspired performances from Phil Salt and Fazalhaq Farooqi secured Manchester Originals their first win of The Hundred against London Spirit at Lord’s.Meerkat Match Hero Salt hit 58 from 41 balls to set London Spirit a target of 136, which Originals defended thanks to Farooqi taking 3 for 24 from his 20 balls.The result spelled the end of London Spirit’s campaign this season, unable to reach the knockout phase as they joined the already eliminated Originals stuck at the bottom of the table.Farooqi dismissed Michael Pepper for 9, then Ollie Pope for 0, and when Dan Lawrence was run out with a direct hit from wicketkeeper Salt, Originals looked favourites.Despite being dropped twice, Keaton Jennings’ 61 not out from 50 balls wasn’t enough to get Spirit over the line, falling 12 short of Originals’ total.He shared a 96-run partnership off 74 balls with Shimron Hetmyer, who reached 44 off 35 balls before he skied Scott Currie to Salt.Hetmyer’s dismissal brought the big-hitting Andre Russell to the crease with Spirit still needing 28 runs off 12 balls and when he fell cheaply picking out Wayne Madsen at extra cover to give Farooqi his third, the home side were left with too much to do.Originals got away with a poor performance in the field, a rash of dropped chances ultimately going unpunished.Earlier, Salt’s innings, which included four fours and two sixes, was the highlight of the Originals’ innings, with both Richard Gleeson and Olly Stone taking two wickets.Salt said: “The results haven’t gone our way. We’re on a mission now to be the party spoilers and with the luck we’ve had in the competition so far, I think that’s a role we’re going to enjoy.”

Nitish Kumar Reddy had received his maiden India call-up before being sidelined due to a hernia

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jun-2024Nitish Kumar Reddy will have to wait for his international debut after he was sidelined from India’s T20I tour of Zimbabwe due to an injury. Shivam Dube will take his place in the 15-member squad.While the BCCI did not specify the nature of Reddy’s injury, ESPNcricinfo has learned that he has been ruled out due to a hernia.Reddy, a 21-year-old seam bowling allrounder, had earned his maiden India call-up after an impressive IPL 2024 season with Sunrisers Hyderabad. He made 303 runs in the season at a strike rate of 142.92, while also delivering 13.1 overs for three wickets.In just his second innings of the season, he scored 64 off 37 balls against Punjab Kings, which took SRH to 182 and eventually helped them seal a two-run win. Reddy also scored an unbeaten 42-ball 76 against Rajasthan Royals in a group game later in the tournament. With the ball, his three wickets included Rishabh Pant, Tristan Stubbs and Jitesh Sharma.Reddy has been a part of the BCCI’s target group of young players who have been under the NCA’s watch over the past year.Dube is part of the India squad at the T20 World Cup 2024. While his numbers in the tournament so far have been middling: 106 runs in six matches with a strike rate of 107.07 and zero wickets, he had a tremendous IPL 2024. Coming in to bat primarily in the middle overs, he was Chennai Super Kings’ spin-hitter, finishing the season with 396 runs in 14 games, striking at 162.29. He was CSK’s second highest run-scorer behind Ruturaj Gaikwad.India will play Zimbabwe in five T20Is in Harare which get underway on July 6. With the senior players rested, Shubman Gill will lead the squad which features Abhishek Sharma, Riyan Parag and Tushar Deshpande, all of whom received maiden India call-ups.

India squad for T20I series in Zimbabwe

Ꮪhubman Gill (Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Abhishek Sharma, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Shivam Dube, Riyan Parag, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar, Tushar Deshpande

The fast bowling duo will return for the ODIs as South Africa look to expand their short-format player pool

Firdose Moonda11-Nov-2024Marizanne Kapp and Ayabonga Khaka will be rested for the home T20I series against England as South Africa look to expand their short-format player pool. They have recalled medium-pacer Eliz-Mari Marx, who was the joint-leading wicket-taker in the CSA Women’s Pro20 series, and allrounder Nondumiso Shangase. Kapp and Khaka will return for the three-match ODI series which follows.South Africa’s T20 squad will also be without wicketkeeper-batter Mieke de Ridder and Seshnie Naidu, who were both part of the recently completed T20 World Cup. De Ridder has been replaced by Faye Tunnicliffe, while Naidu is completing her final school exams and will then be preparing for the Under-19 T20 World Cup in Malaysia in January.The rest of the squad includes three players currently at the WBBL: captain Laura Wolvaardt and allrounders Nadine de Klerk and Chloe Tryon, who will return from Australia in time for the first match on November 24. Bowlers Ayanda Hlubi and Tumi Sekhukhune, who were also at the T20 World Cup but did not play a game, may get an opportunity at home, where conditions are expected to suit them better.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Interim coach Dillon du Preez will continue to manage the side for now and said he hopes they can build on their performance at the T20 World Cup, where they reached a second successive final.”We would like to have the same approach that we did in the last T20 World Cup. Although the next T20 World Cup is in two years’ time, we would still like to grow as a team and continue to work on our T20 playing philosophy,” du Preez said in a statement. “We decided to give one or two players a chance in the T20I series to prove themselves and also to give us a chance to look at what stock we have available and what skill we need to work on.”South Africa have added additional resources to the 50-over squad, in batter Lara Goodall, experienced seamer Masabata Klaas while Hlubi is in line for an ODI debut. The matches are part of the Women’s Championship, which forms the qualification pathway for next year’s ODI World Cup in India. South Africa are currently in fourth place, with 23 points, five behind Australia and England. The top five teams along with hosts India will automatically advance to the event which means Australia and England have already qualified. South Africa have gone through as well, even if they are overtaken by Bangladesh or West Indies, both of whom have six matches left to play (including three against each other). That can happen if Bangladesh or West Indies win the bilateral series 3-0 and South Africa lose 3-0 to England.The tour also includes a one-off Test in Bloemfontein from December 15 to 18, for which South Africa will name the squad at a later date. The T20 games are on November 24, 27 and 30 followed by the ODIs on December 4, 8 and 11.

South Africa Women squads for England series

T20I: Laura Wolvaardt (capt), Anneke Bosch, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Annerie Dercksen, Ayanda Hlubi, Sinalo Jafta, Suné Luus, Eliz-Mari Marx, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Tumi Sekhukhune, Nondumiso Shangase, Chloé Tryon, Faye TunnicliffeODI: Laura Wolvaardt (capt), Anneke Bosch, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Annerie Dercksen, Mieke de Ridder, Lara Goodall, Ayanda Hlubi, Sinalo Jafta, Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Suné Luus, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Chloé Tryon

Getting to his 400th wicket in his 100th Test, with a flurry of records thrown in, makes it a game to remember for Mitchell Starc

Andrew McGlashan15-Jul-2025Mitchell Starc termed the Jamaica Test match as an “uncomfortable” one for him. West Indies’ batters might well have said, “speak for yourself”. Starc was not, of course, referring to when he had the pink ball in hand.Starc’s feelings around the last few days refer to the attention on him for his 100th Test. “Get on with the cricket,” he said ahead of the game. He has often spoken about how he will only reflect on landmarks and achievements when he hangs up the bowling boots. In this match, he added plenty to the list: a triple-wicket opening over, his 400th wicket, and the quickest five-wicket haul in a Test innings.It was as though he was putting together his own highlights package to mark the occasion: inswingers, pads struck, stumps splattered. Only one of his wickets needed the assistance of a fielder. In some ways, it was a bit of a shame Mikyle Louis got his pad in the way of the 400th.Related

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The night before the match, Starc was presented with a couple of signed shirts and a bottle of Jamaican rum to mark his century. But what seemed most special was a video put together with messages from family, friends, former Australia cricketers and players from his AFL team, Greater Western Sydney Giants.”It’s certainly been uncomfortable throughout the week,” he said. “I was happy just to have a win and sing the song. It’s certainly been a special week to play, to wear the baggy green. It’s been one I’ll cherish for a long time.”Such was the speed of Australia’s victory (or West Indies’ disintegration) that supporters were playing on the outfield before it even went dark. While Starc and Scott Boland finished the game in the blink of eye, this was not a collapse under lights. On the first two days of the match, wickets had been hard-earned in the first two sessions. But on the third, the sun hadn’t even started setting when Starc claimed three in his first over.In fact, Australia bowled just nine overs under lights for the game, on the first evening after they made the decision to have a thrash, losing 7 for 68 in the process. They found themselves batting under lights yesterday and were 99 for 6. In the fourth innings, they were preparing to try and hold the game until the lights took hold, hoping 203 runs would be enough to take the game deep if needed.”[It’s] probably a win against the conditions in the fact that we only bowled ten [nine] overs under lights,” Starc said. “I think everyone today with the ball was pretty spot on. I don’t think anyone thought it was going to happen that quickly. We were talking about almost consolidating the scoreboard until we got closer to that night session.”It wasn’t a plan to drag it out. [But] if things weren’t happening straight away, we knew that things would happen quicker in the night session. [It was like] this is what we want to do at the start, but if it doesn’t happen straight away, let’s just chill out and stop the scoreboard and cash in at night. Didn’t need to.”Starc’s 6 for 9 took him to 20 wickets at 16.45 in this four-Test stretch, which started with the World Test Championship final. For the second time in ten Tests, following his 6 for 48, also with the pink ball against India last season in Adelaide, he has improved his career-best.Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins lead the trophy celebrations•AFP/Getty Images

“I felt like my rhythm has been pretty good for a while now,” he said. “Even coming into the lead up to Lord’s, I felt like everything was clicking into place. It’s been nice to have that carry on throughout the series. Today, again, just felt like everything was in sync and got some late swing. I think perhaps the breeze might have helped in the fact that I wasn’t under lights.”Starc’s six and Boland’s hat-trick meant that for just the second time in an innings of significance when he was fit, Pat Cummins wasn’t required to bowl. “My favourite part,” he joked.”I think a lot of the chat leading into this week is how resilient you need to be and professional to make it 100 Tests,” Cummins said of Starc. “[But] I think that’s kind of the Starcy I always remember playing alongside. He can tear a game open by himself really in the matter of a couple of overs. It feels like he can do it in any format, any time.”When day-night Tests were introduced, Starc was a strong voice questioning the wisdom of it. He still believes they need to be scheduled carefully, and that Adelaide is an ideal model, but he can see a place for them – 81 wickets 17.08 no doubt helps.”It’s good for my record,” he said with a smile.

India captain believes the Dukes ball going soft and the pitches being flat are taking away from the fun of Test cricket

Sidharth Monga06-Jul-20256:09

Shubman Gill critical of pitches and ball quality after Edgbaston win

Shubman Gill feels the combination of flat pitches and the quick-to-go-soft Dukes ball is taking away from the essence of Test cricket in England.After India managed to take 20 wickets – 15 of them in bursts with three new balls – to level the series 1-1, he was asked what he thought of these conditions that happen to have coincided with the Bazball era in England.”It gets very difficult for the bowlers,” Gill said. “Even more than the [pitch], the ball is going soft and out of shape very quickly. I don’t know what it is – weather, [pitches] or whatever – but it gets very difficult for the bowlers to get wickets in these conditions. As a team, when you know it is difficult to get wickets and runs are coming easily, a lot of things are out of your control.Related

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“I think there should be a little help at least. If the ball is doing something, you enjoy playing. If you know there is only 20 overs of any help and then you have to spend the rest of the day on the defensive, thinking how to stop runs, then the game loses its essence.”Gill, though, joked that he didn’t mind the relief as a batter after having had a baptism in spicier conditions around the world. In the first Test at Headingley, in pretty much similar conditions, India left runs out in the middle through some casual batting from the lower order. Gill took it upon himself to lead by example after having holed out on 147 in the first innings of the previous Test.”Sometimes, especially when you are the captain, I think you need to lead by example so that whenever there is another player in that situation, you can command to that player,” Gill said after scoring 269 and 161 at Edgbaston. “This is what the team requires right now and you always have to put the team first rather than your personal desires. Or sometimes you want to try some things, but I think if you put the team ahead of you, you will always walk in the right direction or walk on the right path and that’s what I wanted to do in this match.”If a good ball gets me out, it gets me out, but as long as I’m there, I want to play as long as possible.”Having seen the might of India’s batting somewhere near its ruthless best, Gill joked he didn’t expect England to roll out such a flat track again. That was when he was asked whether he missed Kuldeep Yadav’s wristspin during those dreadful middle overs. He said it wasn’t easy for him to leave out a bowler of the quality of Kuldeep, but he felt he needed a bit of the batting depth that Washington Sundar could – and did – provide.Shubman Gill with his Player of the Match medal•Getty Images

India are not used to playing such long Test matches. The tracks at home aid spin, and when India play away, they are handed green seamers. When asked what he had learnt from these rare back-to-back Tests that practically went to the last session, Gill said India were pleased most of the time was spent by them batting.”Definitely helped us in a massive way,” Gill said. “I would say [there are] not many Test matches when we play in India [that] go for five days. But, luckily, most of the days when we are playing here, we are batting and not fielding, so that’s good for us. Even in the first innings, I think we fielded for about 90 overs, which is about a day. So I think that’s good. I think even in the series, in the upcoming matches, if you’re able to score runs consistently and post around 400 or 300 totals, we will always be in the game.”Gill was full of praise for the bowlers that made sure that India didn’t have to field for too long. “They were absolutely magnificent for us,” Gill said of Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj. “[They] took 16-17 [17] wickets [together]. That itself is a big, big achievement coming into this Test match, especially without Jasprit [Bumrah] . There were a lot of questions if we would be able to take those 20 wickets. And the way these two guys delivered was just outstanding. I have no words to describe.”Gill said these were the best players in the country, and he believed that any bowling combination selected from the squad of 16 would be able to take 20 wickets anywhere in the world.

Two-time champions Lahore Qalandars finish their campaign with one win in ten games

Associated Press11-Mar-2024Quetta Gladiators finally sealed a playoff spot in the PSL after four years as Mohammad Wasim pulled Shaheen Shah Afridi for a last-ball six and handed Lahore Qalandars a six-wicket defeat on Sunday.That left the two-time defending champion Qalandars finishing their disastrous season with only one win in ten league games. Fourth-place Gladiators have 11 points and could still finish among the top two if they beat leader Multan Sultans in the final league game on Tuesday.Opening batter Saud Shakeel anchored Quetta’s run chase of 169 for 4 with an unbeaten 88 off 65 balls that included two successive boundaries against Afridi in the final over before Wasim smacked Lahore’s captain over mid-wicket for a winning six off the last ball.Left-arm fast bowler Jahandad Khan (2 for 30) squeezed Gladiators’ chase in the first half of the innings with the wickets of Jason Roy (18) and skipper Rilee Rossouw (13) before Shakeel and Khawaja Nafay (26) put on a 70-run stand.Earlier, Afridi hit 55 after promoting himself to No. 5 and Abdullah Shafique was 59 not out as Lahore made 166 for 4 after choosing to bat first. He hit two fours and four sixes and was involved in a 91-run partnership with Shafique. Shafique himself scored 59 in 39 in the first innings to help Qalandars finish on 166.

Australia allrounder will prepare for WTC final with five County Championship matches

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Feb-2025Gloucestershire have signed Australia’s Cameron Green for five County Championship matches, in a deal made possible by a “significant donation” from one of the club’s members.ESPNcricinfo reported this month that Green is hoping to make his return from a back stress fracture before the end of the Sheffield Shield season, and that he was lining up a stint in county cricket. Gloucestershire announced on Friday that he will play five games for them between April 18 and May 26 in the second division of the Championship.Green’s stint will enable him to play competitively ahead of June’s World Test Championship final, which sees Australia face South Africa at Lord’s. He will only be available as a specialist batter, rather than an allrounder, and faces competition for places in the middle order after the recent success of Josh Inglis and Beau Webster early in their Test careers.Gloucestershire’s finances have been perilous in recent years, with the club posting a £1.19 million loss in their most recent accounts. But chair Peter Matthews said one of the club’s 2,000 or so members had donated a sum of money which will enable them to cover the cost of Green’s wages without exceeding their playing budget for the 2025 season.”We are delighted to welcome Cameron to Gloucestershire,” Matthews said. “This deal would not have been possible without a significant donation from a member of the club, and we are incredibly grateful for his generosity, which has enabled us to do this deal without going over the playing budget.”Related

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Green has never previously played county cricket and will link up with his Western Australia team-mate Cameron Bancroft in Bristol, who was appointed captain for their Championship season earlier this week.Mark Alleyne, Gloucestershire’s coach, said: “Cameron Green’s ability is unquestionable… He usually operates in a key position for the best Test team in the world at the moment and having that pedigree in our camp is amazing for the players alongside him. We have serious ambitions in all formats in 2025 and Cameron’s signing will reinforce this sentiment.”Elsewhere, Hampshire have confirmed the signing of another Australian allrounder in New South Wales’ Jack Edwards. ESPNcricinfo reported this week that Edwards will effectively replace Mohammad Abbas for the first two months of the Championship season, with Hampshire’s hoping Edwards’ ability to bat No. 7 will help them fill the void left by James Vince quitting red-ball cricket.

Fast bowler has ‘big smile on his face’, says captain Buttler, as he seeks to play down expectations

Matt Roller21-May-2024Jofra Archer will play an international match in England for the first time in nearly four years on Wednesday night, ending a 382-day wait since his most recent professional appearance. Jos Buttler, England’s captain, said that Archer is “desperate” to return after such a long injury lay-off and confirmed he will feature against Pakistan at Headingley if the weather allows.Back and elbow injuries have restricted Archer to seven matches for England in the last three years, all of which came on tours to South Africa and Bangladesh in early 2023. He has been gradually working his way back to competitive cricket, playing for his club Wildey in Barbados and bowling a six-over spell for Sussex’s 2nd XI last week.England have named Archer in their provisional 15-man squad for June’s T20 World Cup, which they must finalise with the ICC by Saturday. He bowled with good pace in the nets on Monday – including to Buttler – and had a lighter training session on Tuesday, in anticipation of his return on Wednesday night.Related

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• England hope Livingstone can roll out the big hits on Headingley return

“He’s got a big smile on his face,” Buttler said. “It’s great to see him back fit and bowling fast, and just being back around the group. I know how much he’s missed that. [Facing him] is never that fun, but he’s looking great.”You have to temper expectations. He’s been out of international cricket for a long time, and you can never quite replicate that. We all know what a superstar he has been, but manage those expectations: don’t expect too much too soon. He’s got such a high level of skill that he’s always going to perform well, but [he needs to] just enjoy being back playing cricket. As England captain and as a fan, people want to see him back enjoying his cricket.”Buttler confirmed that Archer will play on Wednesday night – if the rain holds off – and said England will “manage him through” the four-match series. “He’s fully fit, and the medical team will advise how best to manage that,” he said. “[He’ll play] as many as possible: he’s missed a lot of cricket and he’s desperate to get back out there and be a big part of the team.”Any player of Jofra’s calibre is a huge asset to any team. Absolutely, he makes us a better side and [gives us] a better chance of winning games. But we have to temper expectations, not put too much pressure on him, ease him back in. The great success would be him coming through this series with a big smile on his face and his body holding up. That would be a success to me.”Jofra Archer enjoys a lighter moment at England training•PA Photos/Getty Images

Babar Azam, Pakistan’s captain, said his team are “looking forward” to the challenge of facing Archer but do not fear him. “As a team, we are very excited to play Archer,” Babar said. “We have that pace of bowlers: Haris Rauf, [Mohammad] Amir, Shaheen [Afridi]. We are facing it everyday. We are not [feeling] fear; we are excited.”Harry Brook will also return to international cricket on Wednesday, after missing England’s Test tour to India on compassionate leave. “He’s got a brilliant head on his shoulders,” Buttler said. “He can handle most things… watching him bat, he looks in great touch and he’s going to be an England player in all formats for a long period of time.”Matthew Mott, England’s white-ball coach, oversaw training in Leeds on Tuesday after missing Monday’s session for family reasons. While performances in the next nine days will be more important than results, his side have not won a T20I series since they became world champions in Australia 18 months ago and will want to break that streak.Mott and Buttler both came under pressure during England’s catastrophic group-stage exit at the 50-over World Cup last year and cannot afford a repeat in the Caribbean. Buttler said he had learned valuable lessons in India: “Sometimes, when results don’t go your way, it’s easy – as an individual, or a group – to go a little bit internal. [You should] keep putting the team first every time, and make decisions based around that.”But he said England will not focus too much on their 50-over struggles over the coming weeks. “It’s a different format. Times move on: there are different chapters in the book. It’s a real honour to go to another World Cup as defending champions again, but it also feels like a new time. There are guys coming into the side who are more established and proper players now. It’s their team as well to take forward.”Buttler comes into this series after hitting two centuries in three innings at the IPL last month, and said he is in “a really good space” with his batting. Across 22 innings for Paarl and Rajasthan Royals this year, he has averaged 40.36 while striking at 142.30: “Sometimes, I feel like a bit of a victim of my own expectations,” he said.He also confirmed he will keep wicket in this series, but is likely to hand the gloves to Phil Salt at least once since his wife Louise is expecting the couple’s third child imminently. “My family comes first: I’ll be at the birth,” he said. “I’m not a doctor. These things can come on at any time. But I’ve got a plan in place… fingers crossed, everything will go well.”