It took England quite a few months to play a T20I series as a team. The players have been involved in the Indian Premier League (IPL), but they couldn’t find themselves as a unit, before this ongoing Eng vs Pak series, as the home team earned a vital 23-run win over Pakistan in the second game of the series.
The batting department for any team in the middle overs is quite important too, as they look to get the big shots, mainly against the spinners. The England team have a strike rate of around 133.48, in 13 innings, smashing 929 T20I runs at an average of 24.45.
The defending champions have smashed around 55 boundaries and 52 sixes in his period. This is quite decent given how the T20 format has been played in the modern generation. This spells out that England batters, going into the Eng vs Pak T20I game, have cracked four sixes per game, which is around one six in two overs. The likes of Moeen Ali, Liam Livingstone, and Jonny Bairstow may look to go a little harder in this phase.
When it comes to how Pakistan have batted in this period, they have been struggling with a strike rate of around 123.31, in 22 innings, as they have smacked 1444 T20I runs, at an average of 22.22. The struggle of Babar Azam against the spinners hasn’t really helped them in this phase, as Pakistan look to get more power in the seventh to 15th over the duration.
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Ahead of the Eng vs Pak third T20I game in Cardiff, the 2009-T20 champions have lost 65 wickets in 22 innings, which is close to three wickets per inning. In all these games, the runners-up of the last T20 World Cup have nailed 95 boundaries, while 58 sixes have come off their blade in this period.
ENG vs PAK: Playing XI, 3rd T20I – Pakistan tour of England 2024
With a 1-0 lead in the series, the England team could look to make a few changes to experiment with their line-up going into the T20 World Cup 2024.
England’s Playing 11:
Jos Butler, coming from the successful Indian Premier League (IPL), scoring 359 runs at a strike rate of 140.78 for the Rajasthan Royals, has carried the same form for his exciting 84-run knock in the first game. Phil Salt may look to get in his fine touch, with which he drilled 435 runs for the champions Kolkata Knight Riders at a strike rate of 182.
The best news for the England camp has been how Jofra Archer has bowled in the second T20I in Edgbaston, in the Eng vs Pak series. Archer looked sharp with his bowling skills, and showed his acrobatic skills even in the field.
England can look to add the services of Sam Curran in the playing eleven, to see how he gets up with the bat in the lower order or with the ball in the middle overs.
England’s line-up vs Pak: Jos Buttler (c & wk.), Phil Salt, Will Jacks, Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran/Liam Livingstone, Chris Jordan, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Reece Tropley.
Pakistan’s Playing 11:
Mohammad Rizwan will look to add a few runs in his tally, after getting out cheaply in the second Eng vs Pak T20I game. Babar Azam will look bat for a few more overs, while the attention will be on how the lower order gets up in the death overs.
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Azam Khan needs to show his caliber with the bat. Imad Wasim will look to continue his good bowling in the middle overs, while Shadab Kahn’s aim will be to return with better figures.
Pakistan’s line-up vs Eng: Mohmmad Rizwan, Saim Ayub, Babar Azam (c), Fakhar Zaman, Azam Khan (wk.), Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Harris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Amir.
The third of the four-match Eng vs Pak T20I series will be player on May 28, 2024, at the Sophia Gardens, in Cardiff.