England vs Pakistan 2019, Only T20I: Dream11 Fantasy Cricket Tips – Playing XI, Pitch Report &; Injury Update

Pakistan’s limited-overs tour of England will begin with the one-off T20I on Sunday evening at the Sophia Gardens in Cardiff. Pakistan is currently the No.1 ranked T20I team while hosts England are ranked No.1 in the ODI format. The Sarfaraz Ahmed-led team won all the T20I series and tournaments they played since the 2016 WT20 except the 3-match rubber in South Africa this year.

The two sides are looking to finalize their batting order and bowling attack going into the World Cup. The England squad for the pre-CWC series has been highlighted by the presence of Jofra Archer. The Caribbean-born is in line to feature in the World event based on his performances in the series against England. Pakistan’s Mohammad Amir’s CWC future also depends on this tour.

Match Details:

The one-off T20I game between England and Pakistan will be played at the Sophia Gardens in Cardiff.

The match starts at 2:30 PM local time (1:30 PM GMT) (7:00 PM IST).

The game will be live on Sony SIX & Sony SIX HD in India. (Live Streaming on SonyLiv)

Last five T20I matches:

England: W, W, W, W, L.

Pakistan: W, L, L, W, W.

Pitch Condition/Report:

The Sophia Gardens in Cardiff is usually a perfect venue for high-scoring games in the limited-overs formats. The short straight boundaries make the boundary hitting easier for the batsmen. The chasing team will have a clear edge due to the ground conditions. The top two totals during the 2018 T20 blast at this venue were 201 and 198 by Glamorgan who won by narrow margins of two and six runs respectively.

Average first innings score: 299 (Last five full 50-over ODIs)

Record of chasing teams: Won – 2, Lost – 3

Probable Playing XIs:

Pakistan:

Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Haris Sohail, Asif Ali, Sarfaraz Ahmed (C & WK), Faheem Ashraf, Imad Wasim, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain.

Bench – Mohammad Amir, Junaid Khan, Abid Ali, Mohammad Hafeez.

England:

James Vince, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan (C), Joe Denly, Ben Foakes (WK), Jofra Archer, David Willey, Adil Rashid, Tom Curran, Chris Jordan.

Bench – Liam Plunkett, Philip Salt.

Injury and Availability News:

Mohammad Hafeez is set to miss the one-off ODI and the first two matches of the 5-match ODI series while uncapped player Philip Salt has been brought in as cover for Dawid Malan.

Power Picks:

One of the big factors that led to Babar Azam’s development into a top T20I bat has been his consistency. The young Pakistan batsman has batted in 15 T20I innings since the start of 2018 out of which he scored less than 35 only on four instances. Babar scored as many as seven fifties and aggregated 714 runs at an impressive average of 59.5 in those 15 innings.

Captain and Vice-Captain Selection:

The only thing that could stop Babar Azam from being the top performer in this game is him batting at No.3 with the inclusion of Imam-ul-Haq. James Vince also falls under Babar’s category as he is carrying form from the RLODC for Hampshire. Joe Root might get to bat at No.3 after a while in this format.

Other Captain/Vice-Captain options – Eoin Morgan, Fakhar Zaman, Joe Denly, Imad Wasim, Tom Curran, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Chris Jordan.

Suggested Playing XI for Head to Head/Small Leagues:

Keeper – Sarfaraz Ahmed

Batsmen – James Vince (VC), Babar Azam (C), Joe Root, Fakhar Zaman

All-Rounders – Joe Denly, Imad Wasim

Bowlers – Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Tom Curran, Hasan Ali

Suggested Playing XI for Grand Leagues/Mega Leagues:

Keeper – Ben Foakes

Batsmen – James Vince, Ben Duckett, Eoin Morgan, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman (VC)

All-Rounders – Joe Denly (C), Imad Wasim

Bowlers – Chris Jordan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain

Expert Advice:

Only concerning thing for this game is the bowling attack of both the teams. Liam Plunkett, who took a 4-wicket haul in the last game, might be rested for this one with specialist T20 bowler Chris Jordan coming in. Pakistan, on the other hand, could be seen leaving out the likes of Junaid Khan and Mohammad Amir for this one-off fixture to allow inform youngsters to have a go.

Probable Winners:

Considering the skill sets of both the teams, England could gain a slightest of edges for playing at home.

*Disclaimer: This team is based on the understanding, analysis and instinct of the author. While selecting your team, consider the points mentioned and make your own decision.

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