PAKISTAN: The fifth T20 of Eng vs Pak is all set to take place today at the National Stadium, Karachi. In the highly anticipated match on Wednesday in Karachi, Pakistan will try to gain the upper hand over England with the seven-match series at 2-2. The heroics of seamers Mohammad Wasim Jr. and Haris Rauf helped the hosts pull off a thrilling three-run victory in their last game.
Even with the emotion and excitement of England returning to Pakistan after a 17-year absence, there had been concerns beforehand that a seven-match T20I series would be too much to handle. However, those concerns were categorically dispelled by the outcome of the fourth game in Karachi.
Shan Masood’s direct hit from mid-on and Haris Rauf’s loud, raw pace bowling tied the series in the first game, which England won, then lost, then won and lost again, much like their record throughout the series.
The end result is that portion two of the tour, which takes place in Lahore, will feature at least two live games out of every three, and possibly even a winner-takes-all situation in Sunday’s seventh game, which can serve as the ideal warm-up for the T20 World Cup taking place next month.
In this series, England appears to be by far the superior, more well-rounded team—notably with the bat.
However, they were twice knocked back in strikingly different ways—once by 10 wickets on Thursday and again by two runs in the nail-biting match on Sunday.
For Pakistan, the challenge is largely the same as it has been throughout the series. Find a way to highlight their obvious and undeniable talents, but try not to collapse when Plan A fails.
Both their bowling and their batting have already won one game each. Although that ratio doesn’t make them favorites, it does support the idea that you should never, ever overlook them.
Players to watch out
Due to Buttler’s continuing absence, Phil Salt will have more time to establish himself as a legitimate frontline option for England’s World Cup squad. In addition to his appealing determination to fight tooth and nail from ball one, Salt has several striking similarities to Jason Roy as the obvious successor (and suffers the occasional indignity as a consequence, such as his first-over 8 from 4 on Sunday).
Nevertheless, the logic behind Alex Hales’ recall shows that he will be the favourite for the main event next month, even though his omission once represented a line in the sand. This is especially true given his match-winning half-century in the Karachi opener.
Although the Karachi crowd hasn’t seen much international cricket over the years, as evidenced by the clamour on Sunday night for Asif Ali, their passion for the game hasn’t diminished.
By the time Pakistan saved their best hitter for the last over of their innings, the stadium was on the verge of rioting. Sure enough, his two sixes in three balls proved to be the game’s deciding factor. He can be a game changer for Pakistan in the final five overs.
Squad Status
Shadab Khan, another legspinner, did not bowl a ball on Sunday due to a thumb injury sustained while attempting a sensational catch off Hales during the powerplay, which puts Shadab Khan in the running for a comeback. The game on Wednesday will not be played because of Naseem Shah’s viral sickness.
Shan Masood, 4 Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan/Usman Qadir, Shahnawaz Dahani, Mohammad Hasnain, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim Akram, Babar Azam (capt), Mohammad Rizwan (wk),
Richard Gleeson has recovered from the back ailment that prevented him from playing in Karachi, while Chris Woakes is in the running for his first white-ball action since November as he continues his recovery from knee surgery.
Phil Salt (wk), Alex Hales, 3, Dawid Malan, Ben Duckett, Harry Brook, Moeen Ali (capt), Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood
Also Read: England vs Pakistan First T20I Match Preview
