England's selectors are acutely aware of the impact on players of bio-secure bubbles and with a demanding year ahead, are making sure they protect their key performers.
England director of cricket Andrew Strauss believes the vital experience gained from sending the country's players to the Indian Premier League (IPL) far outweighs the risk of them picking up injuries during the Twenty20 tournament.
The 28-year-old is expected to open the batting with Surrey team mate Rory Burns for the one-off match against Ireland starting at Lord's next Wednesday.
England have rested fast bowler James Anderson and batsman Jonathan Trott from the next month's One-day series against India and replaced them with Chris Woakes and Jos Buttler.
England have not picked uncapped all-rounder Jofra Archer in a preliminary 15-man World Cup squad but have named him in squads for the warm-up games against Pakistan and Ireland.
Ireland's dream of pulling off one of the biggest shocks in the history of Test cricket by beating England at Lord's were shattered as they collapsed to 38 all out to lose by 143 runs.
The 40-year-old Pietersen said a win against India is similar to a victory against arch-rivals Australia and urged the selectors to play both Stuart Broad and James Anderson in the same XI.
Travis Head smashed a T20-style century to put Australia firmly in control of the first Ashes Test on Thursday as England were hit by an injury crisis during a miserable day two in the field at the Gabba.
Jonny Bairstow was selected to play as a specialist batsman in England's fourth Test against India even though he fractured a finger while keeping wicket in the third-Test loss.
Away from nets for a long period due to the COVID-19 lockdown, the players including Kraigg Brathwaite, Shai Hope, Kemar Roach, Shane Dowrich, Shamarh Brooks and Raymon Reifer trained at the Kensington Oval behind closed doors
Shakib Al Hasan jumped to the top of the latest MRF Tyres ICC ODI rankings for all-rounders, which doesn't feature a single Indian in the top-10 chart.
Shardul Thakur hit a local ground at Boisar in Maharashtra's Palghar district along with some domestic players.
England moved relentlessly towards a series-levelling victory over Pakistan on a rain-disrupted third day of the second test in Manchester on Sunday. The hosts bowled out the Pakistanis for 198 before declining to enforce the follow-on, ending the day on 98 for one to lead by a commanding 489 runs with two days remaining at Old Trafford.
Pakistan finished the third day of the first Test in a strong position after Yasir Shah took six wickets as England were dismissed for 272 then the visitors reached 214 for eight in their second innings for a lead of 281.
England wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler said he 'feared the worst' after his shot hit short-leg fielder Pathum Nissanka on the head in their drawn tour match against a Sri Lanka Board President's XI on Wednesday.
Limited overs stalwarts Yuvraj Singh and Mahendra Singh Dhoni smashed scintillating centuries to help India secure a series-clinching 15-run victory in the second one-day international against England.
England's Liam Plunkett smashed the last ball of the match for six to earn his team a dramatic tie with Sri Lanka in the first one-day international in Nottingham on Tuesday.
Another England bowler to advance in the rankings was Chris Woakes, whose five-wicket haul in the second innings lifted him to 20th position and a career-best rating points tally of 654.
Durham pacer Graham Onions will replace injured seamer Chris Woakes in the England squad for the last two ODIs and the one-off Twenty20 against India, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has stated.
The Sun had reported that underground bookmakers from India had offered to sell undercover reporters from the newspaper information about spot-fixing in the Test between Australia and England, which was played in Perth from December 14-18.
Jos Buttler has not scored a fifty in his last 12 Test innings and also dropped Jermaine Blackwood, who ended up scoring match-winning 95 for West Indies in the first Test.
Australia pace spearhead Pat Cummins on Friday said he is glad that the effort he put into his T20 bowling in the last four-five months is giving him the desired results in the ongoing World Cup, which has been his "main goal" for a while.
Images from the T20 World Cup Super 12s match between Bangladesh and England, in Abu Dhabi, on Wednesday.
England face a rejuvenated Australian team who have turned day-night cricket into a competitive advantage, winning all eight of their Tests under lights dating back to the format's 2015 debut.
England all-rounder Chris Woakes, who played a crucial role in his team's warm-up match victory over Hyderabad XI, conceded that his team did not bat well in the game but was s confident that the line-up would fire when the ODI series against India gets underway from October 14 in Hyderabad.
Steve Smith overtook India's Cheteshwar Pujara to grab the No 3 spot in the ICC rankings
Against England on Monday and then Wednesday's game versus Australia, the Indian team management would look to give the players who are still not automatic choices in the playing XI, more overs to bat or bowl to get a better idea about their current form.
Teenaged opening batsman Haseeb Hameed was one of the three uncapped players named on Friday for England's forthcoming tour to Bangladesh.
Australia squared the two-match Twenty20 series against England on Friday, by beating the visitors by four runs in the second Twenty20 international that was played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
IMAGES from Day 5 of the 3rd and final Test played between England and Pakistan played at the Rose Bowl on Tuesday.
Images from Day 4 of the 4th Test at MCG in Melbourne on Friday
Superb pace bowling, immaculate catching and astute captaincy combined to forge a thrilling final-day victory for England, who dismissed Pakistan for 201 to win the third test by 141 runs and go 2-1 up in the series. England refused to be cowed by a 103-run first-innings deficit, building a 343-run lead when they batted again and then destroying the tourists with an immaculate performance in the field that saw six wickets tumble between lunch and tea.
Check out the Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, Pakistan, South Africa and Sri Lanka teams.
Cricket can be a game of some complexity and nuance but as England showed in their dismantling of Australia in Thursday's World Cup semi-final, it can also be a remarkably straightforward sport.
England pace bowler Tim Bresnan has been ruled out of the rest of the One-Day series against Australia with a torn calf muscle and will return home for rehabilitation, though he is expected to be fit for the World Cup, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said on Sunday.
England beat Australia by one wicket in the first of two Twenty20 internationals on Wednesday, Chris Woakes scoring the winning run off the last ball of a dramatic match.
England thumped South Africa in their World Cup opener but fell 14 runs short of Pakistan in their second game of the tournament at Trent Bridge on Monday.
Images from the England-Australia World Cup match, at Lord's, on Tuesday.
England picked up three early wickets as Sri Lanka struggled to 218 for six at lunch on the third day of the third and final Test at Lord's on Saturday.
Archer has been on the receiving end of racist abuse in the past, notably during the second Test defeat by New Zealand last year.
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