The West Indies will need the likes of Evin Lewis, Lendl Simmons, Shimron Hetmyer and Nicholas Pooran to fire to make a good start and win at least three group matches to qualify for the semi-finals.
Chris Woakes hit his maiden Test century to put England firmly in control before bad light ended play early, on Day 3 of the second Test at Lord's, on Saturday.
Only 15 men in Test history have achieved the double of 500 runs and 40 wickets in a calendar year but England look set to add three players to that exclusive list on their tour of India, and could reasonably lay claim to fielding one of the most versatile teams ever assembled in the game's oldest format. With two more Tests to play in 2016, England allrounders Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali and Chris Woakes are within touching distance of completing the rare feat.
Superb centuries from Alex Carey and Glenn Maxwell lifted Australia to a dramatic three-wicket victory over England on Wednesday as the visitors clinched the one-day international series 2-1.
Delhi Capitals on Tuesday called up South African pacer Anrich Nortje as replacement for England fast bowler Chris Woakes, for the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League starting next month.
A battle royale is in the offing as heavyweights Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals clash in a high-profile IPL encounter, in Chennai, on Tuesday.
Skipper Gautam Gambhir led from the front with two half-centuries in the initial phase and when he failed to contribute, Robin Uthappa and Manish Pandey have stepped up to do the bulk of scoring.
England are aiming to avoid their first series defeat at home to the visitors since 2001 when they lost 4-1 to an Australian side led by Steve Waugh.
Images from Thursday's IPL match between Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals, in Mumbai.
Delhi's strong batting line up of Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Ajinkya Rahane, Steven Smith and Pant himself will look to fire on all cylinders right from the opening game.
England have added wicketkeeper Jos Buttler and spinner Jack Leach to their squad for the fifth Test against India at Old Trafford, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said on Tuesday.
Jos Buttler played a cracking innings of 75, as he launched a superb counter-attack to turn the tide with a sixth-wicket stand worth 139 runs with Chris Woakes, who finished unbeaten on 84, to take England to victory in the first Test.
Rajneesh Gupta lists the England players's T20 Internationals records updated to the game against South Africa at the T20 World Cup.
Wood, who has 11 one-day international caps but missed the winter tour of India, is joined by fellow paceman Liam Plunkett who is yet to play for Yorkshire this season because of a calf injury.
Images from Day 5 of the first Ashes Test between England and Australia, at Edgbaston, on Monday.
A keen contest is on the cards as Royal Challengers Bangalore and Rajasthan Royals cross swords in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in Bengaluru, on Sunday.
Paceman Steve Finn has been added to England's Champions Trophy squad after Chris Woakes was ruled out of the tournament with a side strain, the English cricket board and organisers said on Sunday.
England proved devastating with both bat and ball on Saturday as they scored 400 runs in their first innings and then reduced sorry South Africa to 88 for six wickets at the close of play on the second day of the fourth Test at The Wanderers. Images from Day 2 of the 4th Test played between South Africa and England in Johannesburg on Saturday.
Chasing 279 for victory, Sri Lanka overcame Woakes's triple strikes to reach 140-5 in 29 overs when heavy rain stopped play and England won the match under the scoring method governing such rain-marred matches.
Nathan Lyon captured a long-awaited 400th Test wicket and spun Australia to the brink of a comprehensive victory in the first Ashes Test in Brisbane on Saturday as England lost eight wickets in a stunning morning collapse on Day 4.
IMAGES from the T20 World Cup match played between England and Ireland in Melbourne on Wednesday
Potent England pace bowling after an unbeaten 155 from Moeen Ali put Alastair Cook's side in complete control on a one-sided second day of the second Test against Sri Lanka in Durham on Saturday.
As the prestigious Ashes gets underway, here's a look at the milestones that can be achieved.
IMAGES of the T20 World Cup match played between England and Afghanistan at the Perth Stadium on Saturday
IMAGES from Day 3 of the 1st Ashes Test played at the Gabba in Brisbane on Friday.
On May 21, England's pace duo of Chris Woakes and Stuart Broad were among the first cricketers to return to individual training after the Coronavirus hiatus.
An unbeaten century by England's Jonny Bairstow, his second in as many Tests, lifted the tourists back from the brink of disaster on the first day of their three-Test series against West Indies on Tuesday.
Anderson, who is recuperating from a right calf injury, will feature against Leicestershire in a three-day friendly match starting on Tuesday.
Images from Day 2 in the fifth Test between Australia and England, in Hobart, on Saturday.
Rajneesh Gupta presents the numbers from the Lord's Test.
Spinner Dom Bess was named in England's 13-man squad for the first Test against West Indies and there was no place for Moeen Ali among nine reserves, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said on Saturday.All-rounder Ben Stokes will lead England in the match, which will begin at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton on Wednesday in a bio-secure environment amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
England also named their final one-day squad before the World Cup, with fast bowlers Tom Curran and David Willey returning to a unit who defeated Sri Lanka 3-1. Tom replaces brother Sam as Liam Dawson and Olly Stone also miss out.
England Test captain Joe Root has been left out of the Twenty20 squad for the three-match series against Australia but will return for the three one-day internationals.
Factbox on the five-Test Ashes series between England and Australia
West Indies were on the brink of a stunning victory over England at stumps on day three of the series-deciding third and final Test in Grenada on Saturday.
History is also a bit against India when it comes to results at the business end of the ICC events.
Thrust into the leadership role, a completely transformed Rishabh Pant carries a lot of hope and responsibility on his shoulders as Delhi Capitals aim to build on the success of the last edition in the UAE, where they finished runners-up to Mumbai Indians.
It was a modest total but still way better than the visitors could have dreamed of when they were 114 for nine, after earlier being 67 for seven.
England were spared the ignominy of the follow-on but Australia appeared on course for victory after dominating day three of the day-night second Ashes Test at the Adelaide Oval on Saturday.
A magnificent partnership between Chris Woakes and Jos Buttler helped propel England to an unlikely three-wicket victory over Pakistan in a topsy-turvy first Test at Old Trafford on Saturday. Images from Day 4 of the first Test between England and Pakistan in Manchester on Saturday.
