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So, that's all that we have to report from the 1st of four T20Is between England and Pakistan. The second game will be taking place at Edgbaston on Saturday - weather permitting - join us on Sportskeeda for our coverage of the same. Meanwhile, click here to enjoy our coverage of what's turning out to be an enthralling knockout contest between the Rajasthan Royals and the Royals Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League! For now, this is Rajarshi Das, signing off on behalf of Pradeep. See you later!
5:40 P.M. Local time, 10:10 P.M. IST: Ah well. The rain has prevailed - with just under an hour remaining to the scheduled start time for the game, we've received news that there will be no game at Headingley today - the match has been called off. Big blow to both sides - that's one game they won't get for match practice ahead of the T20 World Cup next month.
I'm afraid, we don't have good news from Headingly. It has been absolutely pelting down ever since morning and the pitch is firmly under the covers. We can just hope for now that the rain stays away and we have a game going in sometime. Stay tuned for more updates from the middle!
Alright. We're only 11 days away now from the T20 World Cup that is going to take place in the West Indies and the US. It's going to be a dress rehearsal for many teams to make us of this short period to get their playing XI's sorted and also their player's form. England will host Pakistan in this four match T20I series. Both the team's will be in full strength and that is a must given the World Cup is coming up. Pakistan coming at the back of a T20I series win against Ireland. England however, played their last T20I against West Indies and it's definitely time for their team to regroup. Hello and a warm welcome to Sportskeeda's live coverage of 1st T20I between England and Pakistan here in Leeds! This is me, Pradeep and I'll shortly be joined by my dear friend and co-commentator Rajarshi Das as we take you through everything that transpires till the end of the game! Stay tuned as we bring you the toss and playing XI updates!
After over two months of no cricketing action as a team, the England men's outfit will return to the park on Wednesday. They will begin their final round of prep for the T20 World Cup as Pakistan come calling just ten days out of the first match of the marquee event.
Majority of England's players were away in India plying their trade in the IPL and so, they come in with plenty of T20 game-time under their belt. In that sense, ring-rust shouldn't be an issue although clicking together as a unit as soon as they possibly can will be high up the agenda of the reigning world champions.
After all, the last time they played a T20I series was in the Caribbean in December where they went down by a 3-2 margin. Yet, what England will do well to understand is that their side is packed with match-winners aplenty who live and die by a cavalier approach that ought to see them blow teams out of the water.
Headlining the lot is skipper Jos Buttler, who is expected to open the innings alongside Phil Salt, who arrives on the back of a sensational IPL campaign for Kolkata Knight Riders. Will Jacks will slot in at 3 and having shown his ability to tear bowling attacks apart in the IPL himself, he will be keen to do more of the same over the next few weeks.
With Liam Livingstone nursing a knee injury, he won't start in the XI just yet and that could pave the way for Jonny Bairstow get a go with Harry Brook slotting in after him. There is a concern over the form of all-rounders Moeen Ali and Sam Curran, both of whom blew more cold than hot in the IPL but a good showing in this series could set them on their way for the World Cup.
All said though, the big buzz ahead of this contest is the return of a certain Jofra Archer. The ECB has managed his return in pragmatic fashion and the speedster has played a number of practice games around the world from Bengaluru to Barbados.
His pace will be monitored but more importantly, so will his ability to get through his spell without discomfort considering the cutting edge he lends to a pace attack that should feature at least two of Chris Jordan, Mark Wood and Reece Topley, although Wood is nursing a knee niggle of his own. And then there's Adil Rashid, who remains a wicket-taking match-winner in the middle-overs.
Pakistan will not find things easy as they found out during a hard-fought series in Ireland. But things seem to be coming together for Babar Azam's men and a stronger showing against their fellow finalists from the previous edition of the T20 World Cup ought to buoy their belief that they can make a splash yet again.
The skipper himself will have to put his best foot forward in that regard, while Saim Ayub, Mohammad Rizwan and Fakhar Zaman will all play pivotal roles in how they counter an Archer-led English attack. Azam Khan could have his troubles against high pace but on his day, he is a match-winner in his own right and will want to nail down a spot for good, with Iftikhar Ahmed expected to muscle the ball in the death-overs.
There could be a toss-up between Imad Wasim and Shadab Khan unless Azam is benched to include both should Pakistan want more bowling options. Speaking of their bowling, their pace attack remains the side's point of difference and while Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah will lead the attack, the visitors could be in for a big shot in the arm with Haris Rauf likely to make his comeback from injury on Wednesday. Only one of Mohammad Amir and Abbas Afridi could then feature in the XI and the latter may get the nod after a fine showing in Ireland.
This game, and in turn this series, is fittingly poised on a knife-edge. Both teams have their fair share of strengths and weaknesses and while ironing the second of those will be high up the agenda of the two teams, so will a good run of wins that will see them carry momentum into the World Cup.
Expect an entertaining encounter then to get us going at Headingley. You don't expect much else after all when these two teams square off!
England Probable XI: Phil Salt, Jos Buttler (c & wk), Will Jacks, Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Chris Jordan, Adil Rashid, Jofra Archer, Reece Topley
Pakistan Probable XI: Saim Ayub, Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam (c), Fakhar Zaman, Azam Khan (wk), Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abbas Afridi
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W Jacks
B Azam
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Headingley, Leeds
