The 35-year-old left-arm spinner had won just 20 caps across all three formats since making his debut in 2016.

Ponting said it would be tough to replace players with experience but said India should be able to handle the transitional phase better than any other Test-playing side.

The 49-year-old South African takes up the Black Caps job from the middle of June, and will lead the side on their upcoming tour of Zimbabwe.

“Sophie has been managing a quad niggle over the past week but more importantly she wants to take a step back from cricket for a short period to look after herself,” said England women’s head coach Charlotte Edwards.

Waseem, who also won the award in April 2024, edged all-rounders Brendon McMullen of Scotland and Milind Kumar of the United States.