Since announcing their squad for the T20 World Cup, luck has not allowed Pakistan to get their combinations tested in even a single game. Rain has been the killjoy for both teams as well as the fans in two out of three matches. The fourth T20I, which will be played at Kennington Oval, presents both sides with a chance to rehearse for the big dance one last time before flying to the venues for the mega event. Especially as neither England nor Pakistan would be playing any warm-up fixture before the World Cup. The Three Lions, although, would be happy to have won the solitary game of the series that was not canceled, they would still want a full game to revisit their strategy once more.
Nevertheless, the match is a tad more important for Pakistan. The team still needs to scavenge to get answers to a few of their questions. The shaky middle order, as has been a constant for the men in green, needs a little sorting. So does the team’s spin department. Amidst these augmentin problems, an arena to test the hypothesis against the defending champions would undoubtedly lessen Babar Azam’s worries. For Pakistan, even a curtailed match would be a gift from God.
Team Overview:
Filling in for Jos Butler who left the team on paternity leave, Moeen Ali would hope for his experience to lend him a hand in the captaincy role. Butler’s batting job would be delegated to Ben Duckett. The third T20I in Cardiff was supposed to be played by Sam Curran and Mark Wood but after it succumbed to the relentless rainfall, both of them might feature in the fourth T20I. England would fly to Barbados on Friday morning as their opening fixture is scheduled to be played against Scotland there.
Pakistan has a few conundrums that reshuffling the squad can unravel. The men in green would fancy giving Usman Khan and Abrar Ahmed some game time. Shadab Khan who was taken to the cleaners by batters in his last two outings needs to get his groove back as it’s a no-brainer that he is a must for Pakistan’s World Cup campaign. Before flying to the United States for their opening game against the hosts, followed by the nerve-wracking encounter against their arch-nemesis India on 9th June, Babar’s men need to sky-rocket their morale. A win, if rain allows the match to take place, would definitely set things right for the men with star emblems on their chests.
Head-to-Head Matches:
Before this series, the last time Pakistan met England was during the final of the last edition of the T20 World Cup in 2022. When considering the Head-to-Head stats of both teams, the English men take a huge lead. In 30 fixtures between both sides, England has triumphed in 19 matches while Pakistan came out victorious in only 9. 2 matches ended with no results.
Weather and Pitch Report:
Kennington Oval is known for its bouncy pitches. Bowlers would love to roll their arms with the new ball but the consistent bounce would make strokeplay particularly easy for the batters. Pacers would be the top choice as spinners would get very little help during the first innings. The team winning the toss would prefer batting first. As (and if) the pitch wears out, bowlers could make a comeback late in the innings.
Weather in London remains as ominous as ever with a 90% chance of rain.
Prediction:
Death, taxes, and mercuriality are the constants for Pakistan. Predictions are for teams that conform to patterns, not defy them. However, if we keep in mind the current form of both teams, there is no denying that England have the upper hand, even with their captain gone. It will not be a surprise to anyone if the Poms up the series by 2-0 in the fourth T20I.
Where to watch?
Viewers in Pakistan can tune in to Tapmad or Tamasha App to live stream the match while Sky network would be doing the same for the English viewers.
