Birmingham: The Pakistan cricket team is preparing for the second T20 International (T20I) of the four-match series against England in Birmingham on Saturday.
In a press conference ahead of the first T20 in Leeds, Eduwulan revealed that Pakistan captain Babar Azam will bat at number three. Eventually, Mohammad Rizwan will open the innings along with Usman Khan or Saim Ayub.
In the middle order, there are wicketkeepers like Fakhar Zaman, Azam Khan, power hitters like Iftikhar Ahmed and batsman Imad Wasim, giving the team a solid base to run and accelerate the innings when needed.
Pakistan will have Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah leading the pace attack, with Haris Rauf returning from injury and Mohammad Amir likely to step up to show his fitness and get significant game time.
Abrar Ahmed is also expected to get a chance to show his T20 prowess under the watchful eyes of the team management.
England (ENG) and Pakistan (PAK) will face each other in the second T20I of the four-match series at Edgbaston, Birmingham on Saturday, May 25. The first T20I between the two in Leeds was left without a single ball as the rain was spoiling it.
The England team will play a T20I game after almost five months, as their last series will be in December 2023. With the T20 World Cup 2024 around the corner, the defending champions will be looking to tick all the boxes before entering. marquee event. The ongoing series will be crucial for the Jos Buttler-led side as they won’t be playing warm-up games until the global event.
On the other hand, Pakistan are also playing their final T20I series before the month-long tournament in West Indies and USA. Recently, the Babar Azam-led team played a three-match T20I series against Ireland and won the series 1-2. The Green Men will be gunning to give the Three Tigers a tough fight at home.
The pitch at Edgbaston favors the seamers at first, creating a challenge for the batsmen in the early stages of the innings. Field gives players an edge in the early game by helping them with extra jumps and speed. However, if the hero can survive the difficult times and solve it, the path becomes easier. As the game progresses, spinners can also play and influence the proceedings. The average first innings score here is 143 runs. In 26 games played here, the first has won 17 times. The team tossed will choose to bat first.
Pakistan were earlier in Ireland and won 2-1 in three matches. Pakistan lost the first T20I before bouncing back with two consecutive wins. They travel with a group of 18 members. The three members were recalled ahead of the start of the 2024 World Cup in the United States and West Indies in June. The Pakistan squad for the T20 World Cup 2024 is likely to be announced after the second T20I.
England last played T20I series in West Indies last December. They lost the series 3-2. England are the defending T20 World Cup champions and have named a full strength squad. The likes of Jos Buttler, Will Jacks, Jonny Bairstow and Liam Livingstone have been recalled from the ongoing IPL 2024.
