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• Stokes a doubt for England's series opener against Pakistan

  Ben Stokes is a doubt for England's three-match series in Pakistan, with Zak Crawley admitting they do not know if he will be fit to feature.

  Stokes tore his hamstring playing for Northern Superchargers in The Hundred competition, forcing him to miss the side's last three matches against Sri Lanka, with England winning the series 2-1.

  At the end of September, the captain underwent a planned scan which showed he was “on track” to feature in the series, although he was not expected to bowl at the start.

  Stokes had been hoping to make his return in the series opener on Monday, but looked uncomfortable in England's first training session, and is yet to be given the green light.

  "I think he's got to do a few more tests, but he's been doing some running and stuff," Crawley said.

  "He seems to be going well, recovering well from his injury, [but] we don't know just yet. We feel ready, whatever team comes out, it will be a nice balance either way.

  "We've got a really deep squad with plenty of options with the ball and with the bat as well."

  If Stokes is available to play, they could have some selection headaches, as they would be forced to drop one of the top six batters with his inclusion to make way for an extra bowler.

  If they do not drop a batter, they could rely on Joe Root, who could also make history as he has 12,402 runs for England in men's tests and is just 71 away from surpassing Alastair Cook (12,472) as the all-time leading run-scorer.

  Crawley, meanwhile, has been cleared to feature after recovering from a broken finger that kept him out against Sri Lanka. 

  "I feel brand new. I'm looking forward to getting out there," Crawley added.

  "I couldn't pick up a bat for five weeks. I've certainly missed it, so I can't wait to get out there again with the boys.

  "It was a nasty break at the time, but I've recovered well, and I don't feel it at all while I'm batting.

  "I won't go at slip, just from advice from the doctor, but I feel like I could. I'm trying to rest it, but I did a few catches, and it feels fine. I'm just trying to follow the professional advice."

• West Indies Women suffer crushing 10-wicket defeat to South Africa in T20 World Cup opener

  The West Indies Women’s team endured a disappointing start to their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup campaign, falling to South Africa Women by 10 wickets in their Group B opener in Dubai on Friday. South Africa's captain, Laura Woolvaardt, won the toss and opted to bowl first, a decision that quickly paid off as the West Indies struggled from the outset.

  The West Indies were reeling at 32-3 by the seventh over, with early dismissals of captain Hayley Matthews (10), Qiana Joseph (4), and Deandra Dottin (13). Former captain Stafanie Taylor tried to steady the innings with an unbeaten 44 off 41 balls, but her efforts were not enough to build any significant partnerships as wickets continued to fall around her. Contributions from Shemaine Campbell (17) and Zaida James (15) offered little resistance, and the team managed to post a modest total of 118-6 from their 20 overs.

  South Africa’s bowlers were in fine form, with Nonkululeko Mlaba leading the attack, taking 4-29 with her slow left-arm spin. Marizanne Kapp provided strong support, claiming 2-14 as the West Indies struggled to accelerate.

  In response, South Africa made light work of the chase, reaching 119-0 in 17.5 overs without losing a wicket. Woolvaardt anchored the innings with an unbeaten 59 off 55 balls, including seven fours. Her opening partner, Tazmin Brits, was equally effective, scoring 57 not out from 52 deliveries, striking six boundaries as they capitalized on a lacklustre West Indies bowling attack.

  The defeat serves as a stark wake-up call for the West Indies, who will need to regroup quickly if they are to advance in the tournament. Their next match in Group B will be crucial as they seek to bounce back from this disappointing start.

  Final scores in the match were West Indies Women 118-6 (20 overs) and South Africa Women 119-0 (17.5 overs), with South Africa securing a dominant victory in their opening game.

   

• Gillespie defends under-fire Pakistan captain Masood ahead of England Test series

  Jason Gillespie insists Shan Masood has a "clear plan" as Pakistan's Test captain.

  Pakistan's red-ball skipper has faced scrutiny after overseeing five straight defeats as captain, starting by being whitewashed 3-0 by Australia last December.

  That was followed by a shock 2-0 series defeat to Bangladesh last month, which marked Gillespie's first as Pakistan Test coach.

  Next up is a three-match series with England, where Joe Root (12,402) is 71 away from surpassing Alastair Cook (12,472) as the all-time leading run scorer for England in men’s Tests, beginning in Multan on Monday.

  Speaking on BBC World Service's Stumped podcast, Gillespie said of Masood: "Shan has got a very clear plan on how the Test side should play and we are completely aligned on that," the 49-year-old said.

  "There are things people don't see and I've been really impressed by his communication with the players and how he's gone about doing his job."

  Gillespie added that he believes part of the issue is improving the fitness of the team.

  He added: "We can't afford to have players in international cricket who are not fit or strong enough to negotiate the rigours of the game.

  "What I've learned from the Bangladesh series is that we've got some wonderful players, but we need to be more consistent. We've got the skills but we need to keep fine-tuning them.

  "There's also been plenty of talks around fitness and we're making sure that it's a key component for us going forward."