As the 2021 Pakistan tour of England is about to begin, the question that everyone seems to be asking is – Can England beat a strong Pakistani side in the Twenty20 International (T20) series?
To answer the question, let’s look at the context first. Both England and Pakistan are looking at the upcoming series as a preparation for the upcoming T20 World Cup, which is scheduled to begin in October this year.
England have already won the 2019 One-Day International (ODI) World Cup, and they are definitely looking to stamp their authority on the white-ball cricket by winning the T20 World Cup as well. It’s no secret that England has prioritized the white-ball game over the traditional red-ball cricket in recent years. As a result, they are looking formidable in the T20 format.
England have recently beaten Sri Lanka by 3-0 in a T20 series, showing yet again that they are the World Number 1 side in this format for a very valid reason. Another compelling fact: England have won 8 out of their previous 10 T20 series. Of the two series they didn’t win, they drew one with Pakistan and lost another to India.
While the series they lost to India was played in India, the series they drew with Pakistan was played in England, which means that Pakistan has the talent to take the home advantage out of the equation.
Meanwhile, Pakistani players like Babar Azam and head coach, Misbah-ul-Haq, have repeatedly said that they will take the series against England very seriously since it’s a part of their T20 World Cup preparations.
Cricket punters can rejoice as they are all set to see a tight contest between World Number 1, England, and World Number 4, Pakistan, very soon.
At Fun88, our experts think that the betting odds are in England’s favour to beat Pakistan in the T20 series. Read on as we explain why.
Key England players, who will play an important role in the T20 series against Pakistan
● Dawid Malan
Image source: onecricket.com
In Dawid Malan, England has a world-class T20 batsman. So prolific has Malan been in recent times that he achieved the highest-ever rating points for a batter in T20 format last year. This is after he scored a massive 173 runs in three T20 matches against South Africa. Malan has made 11 half-centuries, 1 century, and he has an enviable batting average of 47.4. At Number 3 batting position, he has given many sleepless nights to opposition captains.
● Eoin Morgan
Image source: cricketworldcup.com
Eoin Morgan is not only the captain of England for white-ball cricket, but he’s also one of the most assured batsmen at the crease. With 18 half-centuries and an average of 29 in T20 matches, Morgan is capable of turning around matches single-handedly. His destructive batting has won many matches for England. More than anything else, he has an innate sense for the white ball game. No one has taken England to heights in ODIs and T20s that Morgan has taken. Under his leadership, England won an ODI World Cup for the first time in history. He’s going to be a player to watch out for in the upcoming T20 series against Pakistan.
● David Willey
Image source: cricket.com.au
This left-handed medium-pacer played a huge role in taking England to the final of the 2016 T20 World Cup. David Willey took the highest number of wickets for his team and played in all the matches as well. Despite that, Willey wasn’t able to establish his place in the English team. No one denied his talent, but England were spoilt for choice with the emergence of Jofra Archer and Sam Curran. If in form, Willey will be a potent threat against Pakistan. With 37 wickets in 30 T20 matches, Willey will be more than a handy player in the series.
● Jonny Bairstow
Image source: cricket.com.au
Jonny Bairstow is one of the crucial players of the destructive batting lineup England have. His fearless approach in white-ball cricket is loved by fans and admired by his teammates. He’s an important reason why the England team has been so successful in ODIs and T20s in the last few years. Bairstow has a strike rate of 137.2 and a batting average of 29.3 in the shortest format of the game. Besides, he has also scored seven half-centuries. Wherever Bairstow plays in the T20 format, he makes a solid impression. For example, he averages 41.4 in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Major causes of concern for England in the T20 series against Pakistan
● Jos Buttler’s injury – Buttler has sustained a tear in his right calf, and as a result, he’s ruled out of the white ball series against Sri Lanka. Given that the Pakistan series is only days after the Sri Lanka series, there are chances that Buttler won’t play in that series either, which can cause some headache to Morgan and also to the team’s management. Buttler is a highly effective opening batsman, which makes him really important in the T20 format, which has just 20 overs to bat. He has scored 13 half-centuries in the T20 format and has an average of 31.4. While England have a lot of batting talent, it remains to be seen how they will deal with Buttler’s loss, if at all that happens.
● Jofra Archer’s elbow problem – There’s no doubt that Jofra Archer has played superbly for England in the last 2-3 years. In Archer, England had finally found a bowler for all conditions and formats. But just when it seemed that he had cemented his place, Archer’s elbow problem became so serious that he had to go for surgery. He has clearly said that he won’t play any cricket if the injury is not treated. For the heavy workload Jofra has, it will be great for him and cricket lovers if he recovers fully. However, he’s going to miss the series against Pakistan, and England will have to fill his shoes with someone equally talented. Now, that’s not going to be easy.
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