Pakistan aim to bounce back after 3-0 ODI series loss versus England

Overview:

England v Pakistan, 1st T20I

Trent Bridge, Nottingham

16 July, 18:30 local

Pakistan batting arrived late in the ODI series. Led by Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, they posted a competitive 331/9. They would have done even better if not for a late collapse that left them at least 20 runs short on a good batting wicket. The biggest challenge for them on the tour, however, has been their bowling and fielding, which has struggled to make a mark.

England, on the other hand, will see the return of Eoin Morgan as the captain alongside eight other members after completing the required duration of self-isolation following the Sri Lanka series. With the likes of Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, and Jos Buttler coming back, the England side looks well-balanced and strong.

Remember the last time:

In the last five T20I games, both sides have given each other tough competition with a split verdict of 2-2 with one match yielding no result. In the last encounter, Pakistan emerged triumphant by the barest of margins.

Pakistan posted 190, thanks to Mohammad Hafeez’s 52-ball 86 and Haider Ali’s half-century. The game then went down the wire with Moeen Ali firing away to a 33-ball 61 but a late collapse in the chase meant Pakistan got away with a five-run win.

What they said:

Babar Azam (Pakistan captain):“In the international level when you play against topsides, the margin of error is negligible. When you lack in one or two departments, you have to improve those and I believe bad days will come but the effort will remain to bounce back in the upcoming T20 series.”

Misbah-ul-Haq (Pakistan Head Coach):“I don’t think you can defend such a performance. It was a poor and disappointing performance. In the first two matches, we couldn’t adapt to the conditions and in the final, we should have defended that total. Throughout the series, our fielding has been poor.”