Pakistan eye their maiden T20 WC win against England: Preview
What's the story
England will take on Pakistan in Match 45 of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. The high-stakes Super Eight encounter is scheduled for Tuesday at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. While England started their Super Eights campaign with a dominating 51-run win over Sri Lanka, Pakistan's first game in the stage got washed out. Here is the preview of the upcoming contest.
Analysis
England coming off a win against Sri Lanka
In their last match, England posted a total of 146/9 with Phil Salt scoring a half-century. Their bowlers then turned the game around, bowling Sri Lanka out for just 95 runs in 16.4 overs. This win not only gave England two crucial points but also improved their net run rate considerably. Meanwhile, Pakistan shared points with New Zealand after their Super Eights opener was washed out by rain in Colombo.
Spin strategy
Pakistan's varied spin arsenal on offer
The Men in Green will rely on their varied spin arsenal on a pitch that usually slows down as the match progresses. The team has Usman Tariq's mystery spin and depth in Saim Ayub, Abrar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, and Mohammad Nawaz. However, Pakistan's batting inconsistency against quality spin remains a concern. While opener Sahibzada Farhan has done well, Saim Ayub and captain Salman Agha are yet to fire.
Venue details
About the pitch at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium
The Pallekele International Cricket Stadium is known for being a batting-friendly ground, with T20 scores of over 150 being common. The pitch offers good pace and carry, making it easy for batters to play their shots once they get their eye in. However, bowlers will have to be careful with their lines and lengths as any inconsistency could be punished on this wicket. Meanwhile, fans can catch all the action live on Star Sports Network and JioHotstar (7:00pm IST).
Historical match-up
A look at the head-to-head record
In T20I matches, England and Pakistan have faced each other 31 times. England has won 21 of those encounters while Pakistan has emerged victorious on nine occasions (NR: 1). In T20 World Cups, the two sides have met thrice previously, and the Brits emerged winners on all three occasions. England and Pakistan last met in the competition in the 2022 final in Hobart. It was a close affair as England chased down the 138-run target with six balls to spare.
Team composition
A look at the probable playing XIs
England probable XI: Philip Salt, Jos Buttler (wicket-keeper), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Harry Brook (captain), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer, and Adil Rashid. Pakistan probable XI: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha (captain), Babar Azam, Khawaja Nafay, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wicket-keeper), Mohammad Nawaz/Faheem Ashraf, Salman Mirza, Usman Tariq, Abrar Ahmed.
Key players
Who are the key performers?
Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan has scored 220 runs in the ongoing tourney at an average of 73.33 and a strike rate of 164.17. In three matches, Pakistan's Usman Tariq has claimed 8 wickets at 8.37. For England, spinner Adil Rashid has done well in this competition, claiming eight wickets in five innings. Will Jacks has claimed three Player-of-the-Match awards across five games in this edition.