Their pre-tournament decision to fill the squad with five spinners drew a lot of flak from all corners, but it is now proving to be a masterstroke on the slow pitches in Dubai.
As the battle for semi-final berths intensifies in Group B, top-ranked South Africa will aim to assert their dominance and secure a spot in the final four when they face a struggling England in a high-stakes Champions Trophy clash in Karachi on Saturday.
Stokes, who sustained a hamstring tear in English domestic tournament The Hundred last month, is continuing his recovery along with Zak Crawley who fractured his right little finger at Edgbaston in July.
England's Dan Lawrence will open the batting in place of the injured Zak Crawley in the first test against Sri Lanka and seamer Matthew Potts will replace Ben Stokes, the England and Wales Cricket Board said on Monday.
Chelsea climbed back into contention for next season's Champions League with a 1-0 home win over Everton in the Premier League on Saturday thanks to a fine first-half strike by Nicolas Jackson.
England finally faced some resistance from New Zealand in the shape of Tom Blundell's defiant century but dismissed the Black Caps for 259 to wrap up a thumping 323-run victory on the third day of the second Test on Sunday.
Liverpool resumed their march to a second Premier League title on Sunday with a 2-1 victory over West Ham United.
Images from the ICC Champions League Group B match between Afghanistan and Australia in Lahore, on Friday.
Woakes returned to the test squad for the first time since July 2023 in what will be England pace great James Anderson's farewell series.
It means the inaugural World Test Championship winners face a tough ask to qualify for next year's one-off Test in June 2025, with two wins against England and several other results also needing to go their way if they are to reach the Lord's decider.
IMAGES from Day 3 of the 2nd Test played between Pakistan and England in Multan, on Thursday.
Defeat will severely dent both the teams' dreams of a semi-final berth in the tournament, as South Africa and Australia have already notched two points.
England have included five uncapped players for their Twenty20 series against Australia, and Gus Atkinson, Harry Brook, Matthew Potts and Jamie Smith have been named for the One-Day Internationals, the country's cricket board said on Monday.
Joe Root's century in vain as England were shown the door.
England fast bowler Mark Wood has been ruled out of the Test series against Sri Lanka due to a thigh injury.
Smith said he did not regard his injury as a major issue.
The barren run of skipper Rohit Sharma and the selection conundrum that Virat Kohli's possible return poses are the towering obstacles in India's quest for a series win against England in the second ODI in Cuttack on Sunday.
The series already in their pocket, India will look to address their batting woes against an England team gunning for revenge after feeling hard-done by a debatable concussion substitute when the two teams clash in the fifth and final T20 International in Mumbai on Sunday.
Dimitrov was showing signs of fatigue from his three-hour third-round match earlier in the week and could do little to stop the Spanish world number three, who next faces Argentine Francisco Cerundolo.
Australia's Champions Trophy roster will have a different look to the peerless squad that took a record-extending sixth World Cup title at the 2023 tournament in India.
The second Test begins on Thursday, with a third and final Test scheduled at Birmingham starting on July 26.
Sri Lanka's decision to bat first backfired when they were all out for 236 on Day 1 of the first Test.
Harry Brook continued his remarkable form in New Zealand with a second century of the series to drive England to 280 before the tourists reduced the Black Caps to 86 for 5 at the close of play on Friday, the first day of the second Test.
Since Suryakumar took over as captain last year, India have hardly put a wrong but his own form has dipped.
India will look to extend lead against England
India is facing form concerns and selection dilemmas as they enter the final phase of their Champions Trophy preparations.
At 27, the second seed is still seeking his first Grand Slam title and hopes to become the first German man to win the Australian Open since Boris Becker in 1996.
England are set to host Australia for three Twenty20s, followed by a five-match ODI series. The first ODI will take place on September 19 at Trent Bridge.
Wood injured his thigh during the first Test and has been ruled out for the rest of the series.
Steve Smith was all praise for Ben Stokes who has been in dream form across formats in the past year.
Saud Shakeel's crafty 134 fetched Pakistan a handy first-innings lead before their spinners blew away England's top order to boost their hopes of a memorable series victory on day two of the deciding third Test in Rawalpindi on Friday.
Tim Southee is eyeing the third Test against England as his swan song in the format but will make himself available for selection if the Black Caps make the WTC final next year.
England's batter Harry Brook will lead the team in the One-Day International series against Australia as captain Jos Buttler recovers from a calf injury.
Virat Kohli's form in focus as India eye ODI clean-sweep over England
England took charge of the first Test against New Zealand on Saturday, riding Harry Brook's 171 to a first-innings lead of 151 before reducing the Black Caps to 155/6 on Day 3.
IMAGES from the third Test played between England and Sri Lanka at the Oval on Sunday
England captain Jos Buttler is confident that the upcoming T20I series against India will not impact their preparation for the Champions Trophy.
Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja and Yashasvi Jaiswal have been recognised for their exceptional performances in 2024 by being named in the ICC Men's Test Team of the Year.
IMAGES from the 2nd ODI played between England and Australia at the Headingley Cricket Ground, Leeds, Britain, on Saturday.
IMAGES from Day 2 of the first Test between England and the West Indies, at Lord's, London, on Thursday.
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