ENG vs PAK 1st T20I: 2022 T20 World Cup winners England (ENG) are set to lock horns against 2022 T20 World Cup runners-up Pakistan in a four-match T20 International series. The first game of the series will take place today at the Yorkshire Cricket Ground of Leeds. The match will commence at 11:00 pm IST.
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Notably, England will play a T20 International series after a gap of five months. Their last T20i series came against the West Indies in December 2023. Post the conclusion of that series, many of England’s T20i specialists got busy with franchise Cricket duties. The likes of skipper Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Moeen Ali, Will Jacks, Phil Salt, Reece Topley and Liam Livingstone are joining the national team directly from their participation in IPL 2024.
Pakistan on the other hand will be highly confident after their series win against Ireland. They defeated Ireland by a margin of 1-2 and the Shaheens will be looking to carry the winning momentum against England.
PAK vs ENG: Match Information
- Tour: Pakistan’s tour of England
- Match: Pakistan vs England, 1st T20i
- Date: 22nd May, 2024
- Day and Time: Wednesday, 11:00 pm IST
- Venue: Headingley, Leeds
PAK vs ENG: 1st T20I Toss and Pitch report
The pitch of Headingley provides an equal amount of support to both the batters and the bowlers. The pitch offers a good amount of pace which allows the batters to play shots freely. In the initial overs of the game, the fast bowlers will be able to extract some swing off the surface which will help them to get early breakthroughs for their respective team. As the game progresses, the spinners will start coming into play and can play a crucial role with the bowl. The toss-winning captain will most likely opt to field first.
PAK vs ENG: Head-to-Head Stats in T20 Internationals
Pakistan and England have played a total of 29 T20i matches against each other. Out of these 29 games, 19 have been won by the Three Lions while the Men in Green have won just nine games. One match ended without a result.
England won: 19
Pakistan won: 9
No Result: 01
PAK vs ENG: Probable playing 11 for the first T20i
England – Phil Salt (WK), Joss Buttler (Captain), Will Jacks, Jonny Bairstow, Liam Livingstone, Harry Brook, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Jofra Archer, Chris Jordan and Reece Topley.
Pakistan – Mohammad Rizwan, Saim Ayub, Babar Azam (Captain), Azam Khan (WK), Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Amir and Abbas Afridi.
PAK vs ENG: Best performers of the first T20I (Predicted)
Best Batter (Predicted): Pakistan’s skipper Babar Azam can be the best batter in the upcoming first T20i against England. Azam is looking in good form as he scored 132 runs in three games against Ireland and he was the joint-highest run-getter in the series as well. His performance with the bat will be crucial for the Shaheens if they want to defeat a highly experienced England side.
Best Bowler (Predicted): England’s experienced bowling all-rounder Chris Jordan can be the pick of the bowlers in the upcoming first T20i against Pakistan. The 35-year-old Englishman is regarded as the best T20i specialist in the world of Cricket and has proven to be crucial for the Three Lions with the ball during the middle and the death overs of an inning. His ability to bowl effective slower balls in the middle phase of an inning along with executing pinpoint yorkers in the end has made him a really important asset for the Three Lions.
PAK vs ENG-Prediction of the winner for the first T20i: England to win the first T20i against Pakistan.
Scenario number one
England win the toss and elect to field first
Powerplay score – 55 to 60 runs
First Innings Score: 185 to 190 runs
England will win the game
Scenario number two
Pakistan win the toss and elect to field first
Powerplay score – 65 to 70 runs
First Innings Score: 195 to 205 runs
England will win the game
CHECK: Headingley Stadium Pitch Report, Leeds Weather Forecast and Full Squads
