A tournament that once felt like a procession now looks far more open. South Africa’s 76 run win over India has shifted the mood at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. The warning signs were there earlier when Australia failed to progress beyond the group stage. Yet the cases for England cricket team or Pakistan truly staking a claim remain unconvincing.
England edged Nepal by four runs, lost to West Indies cricket team and then scraped past Scotland and Italy. Pakistan were pushed by Netherlands before beating United States and Namibia either side of a heavy defeat to India.
Their Super 8 campaign opened with a washout against New Zealand, leaving little margin for error. England’s 51 run victory over Sri Lanka national cricket team owed much to Sri Lanka’s frailty in pursuit of 9-146, with Phil Salt’s half century the only substantial contribution.
Harry Brook and Jofra Archer admitted afterwards that England are still chasing their complete performance. Pakistan are in a similar position. Jos Buttler and Saim Ayub have combined for just 123 runs. Sahibzada Farhan, by contrast, leads the tournament charts with 220 runs at 73.33 and a strike rate of 164.17. Babar Azam’s strike rate of 115.78 has drawn scrutiny, while Shaheen Shah Afridi was left out after conceding 31 from two overs against India and taking three wickets in three games overall.
England have repeatedly turned to Will Jacks to steady matters with bat and ball. Four wins in four at this ground inside a month, plus a clean sweep of a bilateral series against Sri Lanka, give them something close to home comfort. Pakistan move away from Colombo for the first time in the tournament and must adapt quickly.
Buttler’s returns read 60 runs in five innings at a strike rate of 113.20. For a player of his standing, that is stark. Brook has backed him publicly and the captain’s faith remains strong. Buttler trained with the reserves on Monday while the rest of Sunday’s side rested. The timing feels pivotal.
For Pakistan, Salman Mirza may operate as the lone frontline seamer if they retain the side named against New Zealand, with Shaheen benched and conditions expected to assist seam. Pakistan studied England’s handling of Sri Lanka’s spinners at Pallekele, where Dunith Wellalage and Maheesh Theekshana shared five wickets. Mirza’s figures of four wickets at 8.75 and an economy rate of 6.00, including 3-24 against the Netherlands in Colombo, suggest he could play a decisive role.
A fresh surface is expected to offer better value for stroke play than the one used on Sunday. Brook did not believe the previous pitch was treacherous, saying, “it was just slow”. With sunshine forecast, light winds and a high of 31 degrees, conditions appear set fair.
England have won all three of their T20 World Cup meetings with Pakistan, including the 2022 final, and have taken the last five T20I encounters between the sides.