CT 2017, 1st Semifinal, PAK vs ENG – England Predicted XI

As expected, England topped their Group after winning three straight games. They also became the first team in the 18-day tournament to qualify for the semifinals. The hosts have been the most clinical side so far in this mega event and will now lock horns with the predictably unpredictable, Pakistan.

After losing against India in their first Group game, nobody gave them a chance of qualifying for the semifinals. They rallied and shocked the No. 1 ranked ODI side South Africa and followed it up by a nerve-wracking 3-wicket win against Islanders Sri Lanka. Pakistan will be proud of the way they have played in the last two games. They must look to keep the performance going in this semifinal against a daunting English side. It will all come down to how well they react to pressure situations.

England will not be bothered about how Pakistan have played in the last 2 games. They have a set game plan which has given them the right results in the last 18 months. Morgan-led England showed great self-belief in the game against Australia where they chased down a big total despite being 3 down for 35 after 6 overs. Morgan, Root and Stokes have been in sublime form in this tournament which holds them in good stead.

Let us have a look at the Predicted XI of England for this knockout clash:

Openers (Jonny Bairstow and Alex Hales)

With runs running dry from his bat, England are likely to rest Jason Roy for this game and bring in Jonny Bairstow. Otherwise a wicket-keeper batsman, Bairstow has been in outstanding touch and was unlucky to miss out in the first three games. Bairstow proved his credentials as an opener in limited overs cricket as he thwarted the Durham bowlers around to score a match-winning 174 in a 50-over game.

Hales has already had two scores of fifty plus in the tournament. He was out without scoring in the last game soon after Roy was sent back. He needs to tighten up his game whenever his partner is out first for England can’t afford to lose both their openers early in the innings. The 28-year old must take his time against the quality fast bowlers of Pakistan as the opener has enough ability to catch up towards the end of his innings.

Middle Order (Joe Root, Eoin Morgan and Jos Buttler)

England Test captain Joe Root, like Hales, has two big scores against his name in the tournament so far with the unbeaten 133 against Bangladesh being the highlight. Root has taken his ODI game to another level and has also added a few power shots to his game which has further developed him as a modern day limited-overs batsman.

Morgan played a counter-attacking innings of 87 against Australia which turned the tide towards England. He is naturally aggressive as a batsman and backs his instinct during adverse times as well and it provided rich dividends in the last game. The left-hander will have to again stand up and build an innings at No. 4 to give his side a perfect platform to surge towards the end.

Because England’s top order is in outstanding form, Jos Buttler hasn’t got much of a hit in the middle. In whatever time he has got so far in the middle in this tournament, Buttler has done reasonably well scoring 61* and 29*. Buttler is a big striker of the ball and can be handy during the latter parts of an innings.

All-rounders (Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali)

Ben Stokes is the talk of the town as he hit his 2nd hundred in three games to bail his side out of trouble against Australia. Coming in to bat at 35 for 3 is never easy but Stokes kept attacking to tame the bowling attack of Australia. His bowling also holds the key for the hosts as Stokes have good control over his yorkers and full balls.

Moeen Ali gives balance to this England side. He has got just one hit in three games so far with the bat which underlines how well the batters have gone about their jobs. His steady off-spin hasn’t earned him any wickets yet in this competition but he has managed to keep the scoring down in the middle overs.

Bowlers (Adil Rashid, Jake Ball, Liam Plunkett and Mark Wood)

After missing the first game against Bangladesh, Rashid has done well to pick 6 wickets in the next two games which include a brilliant spell of 4/41 against Australia. Rashid has been one of the most successful bowlers in ODI cricket in the last 18 months. His efficiency with the bat is also handy for England.

Jake Ball stepped up in Chris Woakes absence in the game against New Zealand returning with 2/31. But he was taken was runs against Bangladesh and England. Playing in the semifinals, Ball needs to step up his game.

Wood returned with career-best figures of 4/33 against Australia. He bowled with discipline, pace and intent to claim 3 top order wickets: Warner, Smith and Maxwell. Wood has been a great addition to the English set up and has improved drastically since making his debut in 2015. He will again open the bowling for England.

Plunkett has this uncanny ability to pick wickets. Despite going wicketless in the last game, Plunkett has 8 wickets from 3 games in the Champions Trophy so far. This year has been outstanding for this Yorkshire lad as he has 28 sticks from 12 games so far. Plunkett is a master of keeping it tight in the middle overs and chipping away at the wickets towards the end of the innings.