Live Updates: Pakistan vs England 2nd T20I – Babar Azam Wins Toss, Opts to Bowl First in Birmingham
Pakistan’s captain Babar Azam won the toss and chose to bowl first against England in a much-anticipated fixture of the second T20I at Edgbaston, Birmingham. Both the teams are already busy preparing for the T20 World Cup 2024 and hence this series will be regarded as an essential warm-up. The match has generated a lot of interest after the result in the first T20I which was abandoned due to consistent rain in Leeds.
“I think Pakistan wants to use the strength of their bowling and Babar has made the right call,” he said. Pakistan, in their recent five T20Is, have won three and lost two. On the other hand, England hasn’t had a great run as they have won only two and lost three of their last five T20I contests. The teams go head-to-head in a rematch of the exciting final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 held in Australia, with England coming out on top.
While we go about breaking things down, make no mistake that the significance of this match has been multiplied with big players from both sides returning. It is a welcome return, too, for Jofra Archer who plays his first game for England since having elbow surgery. And after 385 days since his last professional game, he ended up marking his home international return, which was the first since September 2020. He added a little more melody to this match with his introduction here. England will closely monitor the all-rounder’s workload as they assess him for next month’s T20 World Cup. “They [his elbow and shoulder] feel fine but I need to build the strength again in them. It just feels like I’m a hamster on the wheel at the minute, trying to get back into it,” Archer told Sky Sports.
source for images: Sky Spots.
Pakistan has also made some interesting inclusions meanwhile with Haris Rauf named to the squad after recovering a shoulder injury he had picked up during PSL 2020 back in February. Shadab Khan, who was a notable absentee when he missed the final two T20Is against Ireland earlier this month, also returns. “We will aim to improve on this series and make good use of the preparation that we have had under our new white-ball coach Gary Kirsten. He has brought a lot of energy in the group with his game plan animations, team meetings, and morale development,” Azam said.
Needless to say, Edgbaston also produces one of the most partisan and electrifying atmospheres in the game. Unsurprisingly, Babar also paid tribute to the supporters – not least the plethora of green shirts who always pack out the ground whenever Pakistan plays at Edgbaston. And will greatly strengthen the players’ morale from the stands.
Playing XI for Both Teams
England:
- Jos Buttler (captain/wicketkeeper)
- Phil Salt
- Will Jacks
- Jonny Bairstow
- Harry Brook
- Moeen Ali
- Liam Livingstone
- Chris Jordan
- Jofra Archer
- Adil Rashid
- Reece Topley
Pakistan Playing 11
- Babar Azam (captain)
- Saim Ayub
- Mohammad Rizwan
- Fakhar Zaman
- Shadab Khan
- Azam Khan (wicketkeeper)
- Iftikhar Ahmed
- Imad Wasim
- Shaheen Shah Afridi
- Haris Rauf
- Mohammad Amir
Here is the XI from England and it will feature a mixture of experience and youth in this game. Taking over the reins of captaincy, and keeping wickets as well as Jos Buttler The batting line-up will have Phil Salt, Will Jacks, Jonny Bairstow, and Harry Brook amongst others. “By selecting our strongest squad, we have committed to giving it our best and attacking the series with confidence in order to try to win each match,” said Smith.“But we still want to take time during this tour to develop both players selected and those who are challenging for places in the team.” *pic-approximately-Veteran spinner Adil Rashid is one bowler who should play the “match of his lifestyles” if England needs to comprise Pakistan’s aggressive batting line-up.
Also for Pakistan, Babar Azam (c) proceeds to open the innings with promising teen Saim Ayub. In the batting order too, Pakistan has had stalwarts like Mohammad Rizwan, Fakhar Zaman, and Iftikhar Ahmed who have all stood up to be counted under pressure Shadab Khan is a rounder so it will give a solid combination of bat and bowl. On the other hand, a bowling line-up anchored by Shaheen Shah Afridi is threatening. Afridi had earlier said that the speed at which he was swinging the ball, could be a “real threat” to England’s top-order batsmen. Variety of Haris Rauf’s pace and Imad Wasim’s spin in Pakistan bowling attack.
FanCode is live-streaming KSV vs MTV, while the game will also be available on the SonyLiv app and website for viewers across platforms worldwide. The match is being telecast in India by Sony Sports Network which means viewers are going to be able to watch for free.
As the match progresses, England’s Jos Buttler and Jofra Archer are two players to watch out as their performances will certainly put on a show in the end. *For Pakistan, the captaincy of Babar Azam and bowling by Shaheen Afridi will be key. What strategy do both captains imply especially in Power play and Death over balls of the last innings
Pakistan, however, has previously revealed a knack of chasing down totals in recent clashes which could see Babar Azam’s decision to bat first come as a gamble. “This match is also important for both teams not only because they have to be ready but players need to tune their skills and get preparations right as well, with an upcoming T20 World Cup too,” he said.
Summing up, the second T20I between Pakistan and England should be a mouth-watering clash as both teams eye an opportunity to build momentum ahead of the World Cup. With star players returning, shrewd captaincy, and Edgbaston: the live wire of a crowd – all components fell into place for one of cricket’s great spectacles. Follow along with this live blog for all the action and adrenaline-pumping moments as they happen!
Pakistan vs England 2nd T20, 1st Innings Highlights in Birmingham
Pakistan Bowling Performance in the 2nd T20I
Barring Fakhar’s 91, Pakistan’s bowlers gave a mixed-display which coupled with other performances resulted in another closely-fought encounter in the Vitality T20I series. – Shaheen Afridi was the pick of United’s bowlers with 3 wickets in his full quota off 4 overs, despite going for a few runs at an economy of exactly 9.00 and total runs conceded being 36. Mohammad Amir also bowled 4 overs in his spell and conceded 34 runs, during which he picked up wickets too while maintaining an economy rate of 8.50. [3] Star bowler: The best being Imad Wasim who conceded only 19 runs in his 4 overs taking two wickets at an economy of just 4.75. Haris Rauf claimed his lone wicket at 4-34 and was the other bowler to go under nine per over at an economy of 8.50. Shadab Khan had an off-day as he leaked runs while also going wicketless in his 4-over spell and ended with a high economy of 13.75 run rate. Pakistan chipped in with some costly overs but did well to keep England down to 183-7 from their stipulated 20 overs and could set up a challenging target for its batsmen.
England Batting Performance in the 2nd T20I
England’s batting power and resilience were on full display during the 2nd Vitality T20I against Pakistan as the hosts equaled their total in a tightly contested encounter. Philip Salt had earlier taken his time to an assured 13 from nine balls, but he was undone by Imad Wasim The star of the innings for England was Jos Buttler, scoring a magnificent 84 runs off 51 balls with his aggressive stroke play. Jacks played well for a quick 37 from 23 before becoming Haris Rauf’s second victim of the over. Jonny Bairstow (21 off 18) and Harry Brook (1) did not last long either as the English batsmen failed to take their side out of trouble. Shaheen Afridi got the better of Moeen Ali by dismissing him for 4 runs. Liam Livingstone stayed not out on 2 runs. Chris Jordan and Jofra Archer were the extra scorers toward the end with 3 and 12 runs respectively. It was a mix of key partnerships and individual brilliance that took England to 183-7. Although wickets fell regularly, England’s batsmen were able to keep in contention right to the end as they ran out of overs trying against pesky Proteas bowlers and letting slip the chance for a bonus point.
Eng won the 2nd T20 match
Pakistan all out for 160/10, and /England won the match by 23 runs now England leads the series by 1-0
England vs Pakistan 3rd T20I Abandoned Due to Rain in Cardiff: Impact on T20 World Cup Preparations
The 3rd T20I game witnessed between England and Pakistan was abandoned amid persistent downpours in Cardiff. The incident that took place at Sophia Gardens is a shame for all cricket lovers and it has created an inevitable situation for both teams, especially England, with the T20 World Cup just around the corner. The game was going to be played at the famous Sophia Gardens.
The fans booed when the decision was announced, but umpires cannot take the risk of allowing play in conditions that would endanger players’ sides. The no-result, the second of this four-match series following last week’s washout at Headingley, is a setback to Pakistan and they remain 1-0 down with two games to play. Edgbaston hosted the only match played so far, which was won by England to lead 1-0 in the series. The series concludes with the last match at The Oval in London on Thursday, though showers are expected and rain has further been forecasted. Another such result in the final T20I will make it just one game that England has managed to play in their build-up to the T20 World Cup. That lack of match practice could have an effect on their capabilities ahead of the World Cup opener against Scotland in Barbados next Tuesday.
