England v Sri Lanka: 'Super Series' to see multi-format points awarded

Sri Lanka won the Test series 1-0 when they last toured England in 2014

Both of England's summer series - against Sri Lanka and Pakistan - will be played under a new points system.

The 'Super Series' will mean a win in a Test match is worth four points and victory in either a one-day international or Twenty20 worth two.

"We're trying to create more context to every game that's played," said England cricket director Andrew Strauss.

"We've seen incredible innovation over the past decade and it's important that international cricket evolves with it."

The first of England's three Tests against Sri Lanka begins at Headingley on Thursday, with that series followed by five one-day internationals and one Twenty20.

The four-Test series against Pakistan begins in July and is followed by the same amount of limited-overs matches.

A points system has been used since 2013 to determine the winner of the Women's Ashes series between England and Australia.

Individual winners of the men's Test, one-day and T20 series will be crowned and there be no individual trophy for the Super Series, but a £25,000 prize will be split between the players.

"If it doesn't quite capture the public's imagination, there's nothing wrong with trying it and seeing what happens. So I'm all in favour of it," England captain Alastair Cook told BBC Sport.

"You just don't know because no-one has ever tried it at men's level. If it works, brilliant. If it doesn't, no harm done."

The England and Wales Cricket Board has discussed the idea with the International Cricket Council, which will look at how it could be used elsewhere, but there are no plans for it to be used in men's Ashes series, the next of which is in 2017-18.

"The Ashes has always been played over five Tests and we've got no plans to change that," said former England captain Strauss. "That's a case of 'if it ain't broke don't fix it'."

The first of England's three Tests against Sri Lanka begins at Headingley on Thursday, with that series followed by five one-day internationals and one Twenty20.

The four-Test series against Pakistan begins in July and is followed by the same amount of limited-overs matches.

Andrew Strauss will be appearing on Test Match Special during the lunch break on the first day of the England v Sri Lanka Test on Thursday.