Check our Dream 11 Prediction, Fantasy Cricket Tips, Playing Team Picks for 1st T20I on May 22nd
As a mark of the preparations for the T20 World Cup, England will host Pakistan in the 4-matches T20I series starting from Wednesday. Headingly, Edgbaston, Sophia Gardens, and The Oval have been picked as the venues for the T20I bilateral series.
England are set to play their first T20I this year, their previous assignment was against West Indies where they lost the away 5-match series 3-2 in December last year. Meanwhile, Pakistan handed hosts Ireland a 2-1 loss last week after going down in the 1st T20I.
What a moment for Samoa 🇼🇸They qualify for the Women’s U19 #T20WorldCup after stunning the field at the East Asia-Pacific Qualifier in Indonesia 👇https://t.co/Dfgc6v9KaG
— ICC (@ICC) May 20, 2024
Match Details:
England vs Pakistan, 1st T20I
Venue: Headingley, Leeds
Date & Time: May 22nd at 11:00 PM IST and 6:30 PM Local Time
Live Streaming: Sony Sports Network and FanCode
What is the Pitch Report for ENG vs PAK, 1st T20I?
Despite being the regular Test and ODI venue, Headingley has hosted only one T20I to date between England and Pakistan in 2021. The surface offers plenty of aid for the batters where bowlers have to be on top of their mark to get wickets. Since it’s the opening game, both teams will be keen to bowl first.
Recent form:
England: Lost, Won, Won, Lost, Lost
Pakistan: Won, Won, Lost, Won, Lost
ENG vs PAK, 1st T20I Probable Winners:
Pakistan are expected to win this match.
What is the Expected, Probable Playing XIs for ENG vs PAK, 1st T20I?
England
Phil Salt, Jos Buttler (c & wk), Will Jacks, Harry Brook / Ben Duckett, Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Chris Jordan, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood / Reece Topley
Pakistan
Saim Ayub, Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam (c), Fakhar Zaman, Azam Khan (wk), Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Naseem Shah / Hasan Ali, Abbas Afridi
Final preparations for the West Indies as they take on South Africa in the lead-up to a home #T20WorldCup campaign 👇https://t.co/v2gtrZn5Su
— ICC (@ICC) May 20, 2024
Injury Updates:
Liam Livingstone is having issues with his knee and is unlikely to feature in the series.
What are the Fantasy Cricket Top Picks, Players for ENG vs PAK, 1st T20I?
Top Pick – Batter
Babar Azam looks organized at the crease every time and has got all the shots in the book. He made 132 runs in 3 matches T20I series against Ireland.
Top Pick – All-Rounder
Sam Curran had a good IPL stint with Punjab Kings, scoring 270 runs and picking up 16 wickets across 13 matches.
Top Pick – Bowler
Jofra Archer is set for an International comeback after 14 long months. He won the World Cup for England in 2019 and looking forward to repeating the same in the upcoming T20 World Cup.
Matrix 2024 Training Jersey and Travel Polo available! 🚨Order now at https://t.co/TWU32T9BHd 🛒#WearYourPassion pic.twitter.com/XJjZwZ8DYC
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) May 20, 2024
Top Pick – Wicketkeeper
Mohammad Rizwan has been consistently scoring for Pakistan over the years. Including a couple of half-centuries, he made 132 runs in a 3-match T20I series against Ireland.
X-Factor:
Will Jacks showcased his brutal power-hitting skills in IPL 2024 for RCB, scoring 230 runs in 8 matches at a strike rate of 175.57. In his 11 T20Is, he collected 181 runs at a strike rate of close to 150 and even picked up a wicket.
Pakistan men’s white-ball head coach Gary Kirsten joins the team in Leeds ahead of the #ENGvPAK T20I series. pic.twitter.com/wu0K6jRuV8
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) May 19, 2024
What are the Fantasy Suggested teams for ENG vs PAK, 1st T20I?
1. Jos Buttler, Mohammad Rizwan, Phil Salt (c), Babar Azam (vc), Will Jacks, Saim Ayub, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Iftikhar Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Shaheen Afridi
2. Jos Buttler, Jonny Bairstow, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman (vc), Will Jacks (c), Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Iftikhar Ahmed, Adil Rashid, Mohammad Amir, Shaheen Afridi
.@aliya_riaz37 becomes the 5️⃣th Pakistan batter to complete 1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ runs in Women’s T20Is 🙌#ENGWvPAKW | #BackOurGirls pic.twitter.com/ZnX94dLYik
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) May 19, 2024
Pre-Match Analysis:
The defending T20 champions, England will kick start their T20 World Cup preparations with 4-matches T20I series against Pakistan. The IPL-bound players have returned to the National side to concentrate more on the big event which is less than two weeks away. Jos Buttler will lead the troops that involve regulars Phil Salt, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran, Moeen Ali, and Will Jacks. Harry Brook who has been away from competitive cricket due to personal reasons has found a place. Jofra Archer who last played for England during their visit to Bangladesh in March 2023 returns to the side after recovering from the prolonged injury. They want to set their standards high at home to send a clear warning to the rest of the teams before the T20 World Cup.
Pakistan managed to bounce back from 0-1 down to secure the T20I series against Ireland 2-1 last week. They will keep the same squad for the T20Is against England and are likely to announce their final 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup this week. They showed desperation to win matches against Ireland despite the tough situations. They chased well the scores of 193 and 178 easily to claim the series. Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Fakhar Zaman did their job with the bat, scoring 5-half centuries between them. While in the bowling department, Shaheen Afridi and Abbas Afridi excelled, picking up 13 wickets combined.
