England vs Pakistan, 45th Match, Super 8 Group 2 (Y1 v Y3), ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 - Commentary
Start Time
7:00 PM
1:30 PMGMT
7:00 PMLOCAL
Match starts at Feb 24, 13:30 GMT
Preview by Gokul Gopal
England gear up for their second game in Pallekele with early control of Group 2 in the Super Eights after their commanding win over Sri Lanka. Pakistan, meanwhile, have a solitary point following the washout against New Zealand and will be searching for more to boost their chances of a semifinal push. The table, though still young, already places a bit of an urgency on Pakistan, who cannot afford to drift. England, by contrast, have momentum but not necessarily complete clarity in all departments.
History has largely favoured England. They lead the overall T20I head-to-head 21-9 and have won all three previous meetings against Pakistan in T20 World Cups, including the 2022 final. In Pallekele, where surfaces have consistently brought spin into the contest, adaptability will again be tested. England hold a slight advantage in that regard, having already played the bilateral series here against Sri Lanka as well as their first Super 8 fixture, while this will be Pakistan's first outing at the venue in the competition.
If there is one area England will want sharper returns from, it is the top order. Despite Phil Salt's fine knock of 62 against Sri Lanka, England's openers have produced the lowest aggregate amongst all teams in the Super Eights. They have just one 50-plus stand in ten innings and have failed to bat beyond the fourth over together in any game. That fragility at the top becomes particularly relevant against a Pakistan attack that has traditionally thrived when early pressure is created. Will Jacks has come to the rescue plenty of times for England in this World Cup, but the 2022 champions would prefer a firmer cushion from their top order.
The broader concern for England is their record against spin in this edition. They have already lost 21 wickets to spin, the most by any side in the tournament, with their average against slower bowlers sitting below 23. With both teams having relied heavily on spin at different stages of the innings, Tuesday's contest could well hinge on which batting unit negotiates spin with greater control.
Pakistan, meanwhile, have their own points of focus. Sahibzada Farhan's prolific run in T20 cricket since the start of 2025, including five hundreds in that period, offers them a game-changer at the top. However, while Farhan's form is a major positive, the rest of Pakistan's batting order is yet to make a significant mark. All average below 30 in this tournament and none has registered a fifty-plus score, placing added pressure on Farhan to provide strong starts. Against an England attack that did well to defend 146 against Sri Lanka, Pakistan's batters could have their work cut out.
When: Tuesday, February 24 at 7:00 PM Local Time
Where: Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele
What to expect: Having been under covers for long periods, the surface showed some stickiness in the previous Super Eights game here, making run-scoring far from straightforward. However, with no rain around now, the pitch has had time to settle, which could aid better batting compared to the England-Sri Lanka game. That said, spin is still expected to play a major role. On the weather front, there is no rain forecast for Tuesday.
Team news:
England: Harry Brook's side has remained unchanged for a while and are likely to stick with the same combination. Meanwhile, it is still unclear whether Jacob Bethell will be able to bowl after injuring his finger earlier in the competition.
Probable XI: Phil Salt, Jos Buttler (wk), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Harry Brook (c), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid
Pakistan: Even though Shaheen Afridi spent a fair amount of time bowling in the practice session on the eve of the game, it appears unlikely that the left-armer will return to the XI, with Salman Mirza set to retain his place. Pakistan brought back Fakhar Zaman into the mix against New Zealand in place of Khawaja Nafay. With the game getting washed out, they would want to stick to their call and give the experienced Zaman a go.
Meanwhile, it will be interesting to see where Babar Azam bats for Pakistan. Against Namibia, he did not come out to bat, with Khawaja Nafay and Shadab Khan sent ahead of him. "We got to the 12th over mark and at that point, Babar Azam is not the best person to come in," said head coach Mike Hesson. He added: "I think he's well aware his strike rate in the Powerplay in World Cups is less than 100 in T20s. So clearly, that's not a role that we think we need here."
In that scenario, Babar's role could be limited to that of a stabiliser at No. 4 in case of early wickets.
Probable XI: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha (c), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Usman Khan (wk), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Salman Mirza, Usman Tariq
Did you know?
- Under Harry Brook, England have bowled more overs of spin (53.2%) than pace (46.7%). He's the only English captain to use more than 40 percent of spin overs among those who have led in at least 10 games. Brook also has a success percentage of 75 which is the highest for all England captains.
- England's pacers have picked up 11 wickets in the Powerplay, second most after South Africa in this World Cup. Jofra Archer has picked up seven of them - the joint most in the tournament in this phase alongside Shadley van Schalkwyk.
- Sahibzada Farhan is the leading run-getter in T20s since January 2025, with 2295 runs in 62 innings at an average of 39.56 and a strike rate of 150. He has also scored five hundreds in this period - the most by any batter.
What they said:
"Obviously they're a very good team with some dangerous players and Tariq's obviously a very good bowler. I'm sure the boys will do their homework... You know, it's not all about Tariq. I think they've got a very well-rounded team as well. So we're not going to just look at him, we'll look at the whole team and see how we can nullify them" - Liam Dawson.
"No, it's not a big deal to face Jofra Archer. We have already faced him in Pakistan. We have good bowlers, they also bowl at 145. So it's not a big deal. They (England) will definitely have planned it, but I have also planned it. It's not that only he will have plans. So, we will see. It will be a good match" - Sahibzada Farhan.
England gear up for their second game in Pallekele with early control of Group 2 in the Super Eights after their commanding win over Sri Lanka. Pakistan, meanwhile, have a solitary point following the washout against New Zealand and will be searching for more to boost their chances of a semifinal push. The table, though still young, already places a bit of an urgency on Pakistan, who cannot afford to drift. England, by contrast, have momentum but not necessarily complete clarity in all departments.
History has largely favoured England. They lead the overall T20I head-to-head 21-9 and have won all three previous meetings against Pakistan in T20 World Cups, including the 2022 final. In Pallekele, where surfaces have consistently brought spin into the contest, adaptability will again be tested. England hold a slight advantage in that regard, having already played the bilateral series here against Sri Lanka as well as their first Super 8 fixture, while this will be Pakistan's first outing at the venue in the competition.
If there is one area England will want sharper returns from, it is the top order. Despite Phil Salt's fine knock of 62 against Sri Lanka, England's openers have produced the lowest aggregate amongst all teams in the Super Eights. They have just one 50-plus stand in ten innings and have failed to bat beyond the fourth over together in any game. That fragility at the top becomes particularly relevant against a Pakistan attack that has traditionally thrived when early pressure is created. Will Jacks has come to the rescue plenty of times for England in this World Cup, but the 2022 champions would prefer a firmer cushion from their top order.
The broader concern for England is their record against spin in this edition. They have already lost 21 wickets to spin, the most by any side in the tournament, with their average against slower bowlers sitting below 23. With both teams having relied heavily on spin at different stages of the innings, Tuesday's contest could well hinge on which batting unit negotiates spin with greater control.
Pakistan, meanwhile, have their own points of focus. Sahibzada Farhan's prolific run in T20 cricket since the start of 2025, including five hundreds in that period, offers them a game-changer at the top. However, while Farhan's form is a major positive, the rest of Pakistan's batting order is yet to make a significant mark. All average below 30 in this tournament and none has registered a fifty-plus score, placing added pressure on Farhan to provide strong starts. Against an England attack that did well to defend 146 against Sri Lanka, Pakistan's batters could have their work cut out.
When: Tuesday, February 24 at 7:00 PM Local Time
Where: Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele
What to expect: Having been under covers for long periods, the surface showed some stickiness in the previous Super Eights game here, making run-scoring far from straightforward. However, with no rain around now, the pitch has had time to settle, which could aid better batting compared to the England-Sri Lanka game. That said, spin is still expected to play a major role. On the weather front, there is no rain forecast for Tuesday.
Team news:
England: Harry Brook's side has remained unchanged for a while and are likely to stick with the same combination. Meanwhile, it is still unclear whether Jacob Bethell will be able to bowl after injuring his finger earlier in the competition.
Probable XI: Phil Salt, Jos Buttler (wk), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Harry Brook (c), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid
Pakistan: Even though Shaheen Afridi spent a fair amount of time bowling in the practice session on the eve of the game, it appears unlikely that the left-armer will return to the XI, with Salman Mirza set to retain his place. Pakistan brought back Fakhar Zaman into the mix against New Zealand in place of Khawaja Nafay. With the game getting washed out, they would want to stick to their call and give the experienced Zaman a go.
Meanwhile, it will be interesting to see where Babar Azam bats for Pakistan. Against Namibia, he did not come out to bat, with Khawaja Nafay and Shadab Khan sent ahead of him. "We got to the 12th over mark and at that point, Babar Azam is not the best person to come in," said head coach Mike Hesson. He added: "I think he's well aware his strike rate in the Powerplay in World Cups is less than 100 in T20s. So clearly, that's not a role that we think we need here."
In that scenario, Babar's role could be limited to that of a stabiliser at No. 4 in case of early wickets.
Probable XI: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha (c), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Usman Khan (wk), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Salman Mirza, Usman Tariq
Did you know?
- Under Harry Brook, England have bowled more overs of spin (53.2%) than pace (46.7%). He's the only English captain to use more than 40 percent of spin overs among those who have led in at least 10 games. Brook also has a success percentage of 75 which is the highest for all England captains.
- England's pacers have picked up 11 wickets in the Powerplay, second most after South Africa in this World Cup. Jofra Archer has picked up seven of them - the joint most in the tournament in this phase alongside Shadley van Schalkwyk.
- Sahibzada Farhan is the leading run-getter in T20s since January 2025, with 2295 runs in 62 innings at an average of 39.56 and a strike rate of 150. He has also scored five hundreds in this period - the most by any batter.
What they said:
"Obviously they're a very good team with some dangerous players and Tariq's obviously a very good bowler. I'm sure the boys will do their homework... You know, it's not all about Tariq. I think they've got a very well-rounded team as well. So we're not going to just look at him, we'll look at the whole team and see how we can nullify them" - Liam Dawson.
"No, it's not a big deal to face Jofra Archer. We have already faced him in Pakistan. We have good bowlers, they also bowl at 145. So it's not a big deal. They (England) will definitely have planned it, but I have also planned it. It's not that only he will have plans. So, we will see. It will be a good match" - Sahibzada Farhan.
Squads:
Pakistan Squad: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha(c), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Usman Khan(w), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Salman Mirza, Usman Tariq, Shaheen Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Naseem Shah, Khawaja Nafay
England Squad: Philip Salt, Jos Buttler(w), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Harry Brook(c), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Liam Dawson, Jamie Overton, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Ben Duckett, Luke Wood, Josh Tongue, Rehan Ahmed
