England’s new dawn and Commonwealth Games – cricket’s summer highlights

With the Premier League season at an end and the 2022 World Cup taking place in the winter, cricket has a chance to seize the sporting summer.

Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the highlights of the calendar.

A brave new world?

The men’s Test team is at an undeniably low ebb after one win in 17 attempts, but things have changed rapidly behind the scenes in recent weeks. The all-action Ben Stokes has taken over from Joe Root as captain and has been paired up with the exciting, but largely untested, Brendon McCullum as head coach. Test cricket is not about to get any easier, particularly with reigning world champions New Zealand first up for a three-match series in June, but it may well get more exciting. As new director of cricket Rob Key said after appointing the pair: “Buckle up and get ready for the ride”.

A big month for Morgan’s men

England's white ball fixtures

July is the month for Eoin Morgan’s market leading limited-overs side to take centre stage, with 12 games at 10 venues over 25 action packed days. India and South Africa will each play three Twenty20s and three ODIs. With a T20 World Cup coming up in October, expect foot-to-the-floor cricket to take precedence. The white-ball game has been England’s trump card for years and new head coach Matthew Mott will be eager to prove he can keep them ahead of the pack despite the focus on the so-called ‘red-ball reset’.

Let the Games begin

Cricket will return to the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham this summer, with a women’s T20 tournament taking its place in the multi-sport celebration. It last appeared as a 50-over men’s competition in 1998 in Kuala Lumpur but this already feels a more landmark moment. Australia will arrive as favourites, with Heather