Pakistan opt to bat as Shaheen returns against England

2026-02-24 - 13:23

Pakistan have won the toss and opted to bat first against England in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 Super Eight clash here at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday. Pakistan have made one change to their side as fast bowler Shaheen Afridi, who was left out of the XI against New Zealand, has returned, replacing all-rounder Faheem Ashraf. England and Pakistan have played 31 T20Is against each other, with the Three Lions leading by 21 games, while Pakistan have won only 9. In the T20 World Cup, England remain unbeaten against Pakistan, having won all three matches. Playing XIs England: 1 Phil Salt, 2 Jos Buttler (wk), 3 Jacob Bethell, 4 Tom Banton, 5 Harry Brook (capt), 6 Sam Curran, 7 Will Jacks, 8 Liam Dawson, 9 Jamie Overton, 10 Jofra Archer, 11 Adil Rashid Pakistan: 1 Sahibzada Farhan, 2 Saim Ayub, 3 Salman Ali Agha (capt), 4 Babar Azam, 5 Fakhar Zaman, 6 Shadab Khan, 7 Usman Khan (wk), 8 Mohammad Nawaz, 9 Shaheen Afridi, 10 Salman Mirza, 11 Usman Tariq