The action and focus shifts back to Group 2 in the Super 8s stage as the bandwagon moves back to Sri Lanka for the second round of matches to take place for all teams. In this fixture later today, we will have England who are fresh off a solid 51-run win over Sri Lanka will now face Asian Giants and Men in Green Pakistan in Pallekele at the same venue where England crushed the co-hosts Sri Lanka. England will want to put in a better performance and get another win which will take them closer to play-offs while things can get tricky for Pakistan should they lose tonight.
England under Harry Brook haven’t been at their best by any means but they are managing to notch up wins with different players stepping up every time. This time it was Will Jacks who stepped up against Sri Lanka first with the bat and more significantly with ball in hand. He will be key and the batting for England has to come good because they haven’t fired yet and will be tested by spinners of Pakistan. Pakistan, on the other hand led by Salman Ali Agha had to settle for a point against New Zealand after rain was the player of the match there.
Pakistan will also be desperate for a win as a loss here to go with that one point could complicate things and make sure that they get to only 3 points which may not be enough for qualification. The table is a little weird and complicated thanks to that rained out game and so all games will be important going forward in the race to semis.
Overview.Â
The stage is set for a crucial Super 8 clash in Group 2 as England locks horns against Pakistan in Pallekele on 24th February at 7 PM IST. It is a clash that could shape up the semi-finals hopes for both teams. England scraped their way through the group stages as they had to dig deep to get past the likes of Italy and Nepal, and were stretched by Scotland as well. The only major heavyweight they faced in the group stages was West Indies who handed them their solitary defeat of the tournament.
However, in the Super 8s, they came up against Sri Lanka and the batting once again threatened to let them down. But yet again, it was Will Jacks who stepped up this time with his off-spin guiding England to a comfortable win. In their last game, England were sent into bat first by Sri Lanka in Pallekele and Jos Buttler’s lean run continued as he managed just 7 off 14 deliveries.
Jacob Bethell fell in the powerplay for 3, while Harry Brook (14) and Sam Curran (11) got starts but failed to convert them. It was Phil Salt’s fluent half-century of 62 off 40 balls that pushed England close to the 150-run mark. Will Jacks chipped in with a brisk 21 off 14 balls while Jamie Overton remained unbeaten on 10. With the ball, Jacks was again the standout performer, returning figures of 3 for 22 from his four overs. Jofra Archer, Liam Dawson, and Adil Rashid picked up two wickets apiece, while Jamie Overton claimed one as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 95, handing England a 51-run win.
On the other hand, Pakistan’s journey has followed a somewhat similar pattern. They were pushed to the limit by the Netherlands in the group stages, registered convincing wins over the USA and Namibia, but lost their only marquee clash against India. They had to settle for a shared point to begin their Super 8s campaign against New Zealand in Colombo. The toss took place amidst a slight drizzle, with Pakistan opting to bat first a decision that surprised many. However, the rain never relented and only intensified as the evening progressed. The officials were eventually forced to call off the contest, awarding one point each to Pakistan and New Zealand.
History favours England. They have faced the Men in Green three times in T20 World Cups and have come out on top every single time. They also led the head-to-head numbers by a good margin. Their last meeting in a T20 World Cup game in the final of the 2022 edition, where England outclassed the Men in Green to lift the trophy at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground. On paper, it looks like England have more match winners and should get two points against Pakistan. However, in ICC events, in the knockouts, you cannot take the Men in Green lightly.
So, the stage is set for an intriguing battle in Kandy. It remains to be seen whether England can dent Pakistan’s hopes of a place in the semi-finals or will Pakistan once again rise when it matters the most. An evening battle to entertain us all in Kandy.
Head-To-Head.Â
England and Pakistan have faced against each other a total of 31 times in which England has come out on top 21 times. Pakistan have won 9 of their matches while one match ended in a No Result. In the last 10 matches, it is 7-3 in favour of England with the England team winning their last three clashes and the last time they faced was on 30th May 2024 in England. In T20 World Cups, it’s 3-0 to England. History favours England, but do not count out Pakistan in these conditions.
Pitch & Weather Report.Â
The pitch at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium is a sporting one, which has something for both batters and bowlers. However, give the weather and lack of sunlight in recent times at the venue, there could be moisture on the wicket, which could make it difficult for the batters. The average first innings score at the venue is 170.
The weather in Pallekele is known for it’s unpredictability, however, there is low to little chance of rain during this fixture and the temperature is expected to hover in the early 20s during the night. We can definitely keep our fingers crossed and hope for a full game of cricket without rain interruptions.
Predicted/Probable Playing XIs of both sides.Â
Here, we will try and predict the playing XIs of both sides.
Pakistan XI: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha (c), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Usman Khan (wk), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf/Naseem Shah, Usman Tariq, Salman Mirza.
England XI: Philip Salt, Jos Buttler (wk), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Harry Brook (c), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Liam Dawson, Jamie Overton, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid.
Key Players to watch out for in this clash.Â
Sahibzada Farhan: Sahibzada Farhan is the man in form for Pakistan and he has set the tournament on fire. Yes, it may be argued that Pakistan has faced associate sides so far and in the only match against a proper side like India, Farhan missed out. But he has still got the runs and no one should take that lightly. Farhan plays without fear and once he gets in, he is a dangerous player to bowl to. Pakistan will bank on him to give a good start in this contest.
Usman Tariq: Usman Tariq is a revelation and one of the standout players for Pakistan. He is the trump card for Salman Ali Agha and the think-tank. He is one of the plethora of spinners Pakistan uses but is also the X-factor in this line-up. England struggles against spin and it will be interesting to see how they pick Tariq. He will be buoyed by his performances so far as he has managed to take wickets in every game he has featured for Pakistan so far.
Jacob Bethell: Jacob Bethell may have missed out against Sri Lanka, but he is too good of a player to miss out for long. He will be hungry to bounce back and has been in decent form in this tournament. Bethell will aim to get back into the groove and the fact that he plays spin well will make him a key against Pakistan’s plethora of spinners. He has to come good or else the pressure will fall on the other members of the team.
Adil Rashid: England’s premier spinner is always a handful in any conditions and in Sri Lanka he has a major role to play. With pitches aiding the slower bowlers and tweakers, Rashid will look to make his mark yet again. He bowled well against Sri Lanka and will search for consistency to put Pakistan under some pressure in the middle phase of the game. The middle phase is controlled by Rashid and company.
Key Stats and Records to look forward to in this clash.Â
- England have won all three of their matches against Pakistan in men’s T20 World Cups.
- England have won each of their last five meetings against Pakistan in men’s T20Is.
- Will Jacks has been player of the match in three of England’s four wins at this World Cup. Shane Watson with four in 2012 and Sikandar Raza with three in 2022 are the only other players with such awards in an edition of the men’s T20 World Cup.
- England’s pacers have picked up 11 wickets in the Powerplay, the second most after South Africa in this World Cup. Jofra Archer has picked up seven of them the join most in the tournament in this phase alongside Shadley van Schalkwyk.
Predicted/Possible Outcome of the Match.Â
It is difficult to predict with such pedigree around both teams. Whoever plays better will win and both are unpredictable in their own ways. Pakistan has the advantage of playing in Sri Lanka and they will be aware of the conditions in hand although this is their first match in Pallekele. England have got a grip of conditions and have the superior grip of the conditions. So, taking everything into consideration, we will give a slight edge to England but Pakistan very much in it.
Pakistan needs to bat first and put runs on the board considering their plethora of spinners to put pressure on England’s deep batting line-up who struggles against spin. That should be their game plan to win. England may not mind chasing, but will like to bat first too. Crucial points up for grabs for both teams. Let’s see how things pan out in Kandy with little or no chance of rain.
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