Friday, February 7, 2025

CRICKET BLOG FOR THE FANS, BY THE FANS

Get your fix of cricket news, opinion, Dream11 fantasy cricket predictions, fan-led content & more.

HomeCricBlogENG vs PAK 1st T20I Preview Dream11 Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

ENG vs PAK 1st T20I Preview Dream11 Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

Date:

LATEST STORIES & CRICKET BLOGS

Last Updated on 4 years by Charbel Coorey

ENG vs PAK 1st T20I Preview Dream11 Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | ENG vs PAK 1st T20I Dream11 Prediction Today August 28 2020 | England vs Pakistan 1st T20I Key Players | Old Trafford Pitch Report

It has been one unusual summer. The world of packed, noisy England stadiums are a thing of the past for now, as bio-secure environments, ODIs sandwiched between two Test series and social distancing have become the new norm.

One thing that has remained a constant, however, is the English rain. Rain ruined the last two Tests, after one of the great counterattacks. Unfortunately, rain is forecast in Manchester ahead of the first of three T20Is – a series that has its own narrative even with the T20 World Cup officially postponed.

England come into this series with plenty of exciting talent, which was on display against Ireland at the turn of the month. Even though they will be without Jason Roy, who has picked up a sidestrain, they still possess plenty of power hitting ability in their lineup. The likes of Tom Banton, Sam Billings and Dawid Malan will all be keen for an opportunity this series, and can go big to allow a capable bowling attack to do its thing with confidence.

For Pakistan, it’s about getting back to the top in T20Is. They have won just three of their past 11 completed matches since the start of 2019, which has resulted in a significant drop from first to fourth in the T20I rankings. Babar Azam leads a squad that possesses a mix of youth and experience, with some familiar names back in the reckoning. If the weather allows, can Pakistan take a 1-0 series lead and pick up their first win of the tour?

Also read: Do you write cricket blogs? Here are 6 tips to writing great cricket blogs!

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

  • Eoin Morgan has the second-most runs in England-Pakistan T20Is (300). He averages 42.85 and strikes at 128.75 against the men in green.
  • Shoaib Malik is next best with 234 in 10 T20Is (avg. 29.25, SR 118.18, two fifties).
  • Jonny Bairstow has been in strong form in T20Is since the backend of 2019. His last four T20I scores are: 47 (18), 23 (19), 35 (17) and 64 (34).
  • The perfect opportunity for Dawid Malan? The top order batsman has over 5,000 T20 runs in 200 matches, averaging over 33. Plus, he was superb in New Zealand last year, hitting 208 runs in four T20Is, including an unbeaten 103.
  • Sam Billings was England’s go-to man in the middle order vs Ireland recently (67* and 46*).
  • Can Babar Azam, the top-ranked T20I batsman, fire right away? He has 80 runs in two T20Is vs England, with a top score of 65, achieved last year in Cardiff.
  • Adil Rashid will be one to watch in the middle overs, after taking five wickets in three ODIs vs Ireland a month ago.
  • Tom Curran and Haris Rauf were superb performer’s in last year’s BBL, and are proven wicket-takers. Curran took 22 wickets in the tournament, and Haris shot to fame with 20 wickets in 10 matches.
  • David Willey was man of the series recently vs Ireland, with eight wickets in three ODIs.
  • Chris Jordan has taken 11 wickets in his last seven T20Is (vs New Zealand and South Africa).
  • Mohammad Hasnain took the most wickets in PSL 2020 (15). Shaheen Shah Afridi was next with 13.
ENG vs PAK 1st T20I Preview Dream11 Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | ENG vs PAK 1st T20I Dream11 Prediction Today August 28 2020 | England vs Pakistan 1st T20I Key Players | Old Trafford Pitch Report | Manchester Weather Report
ENG vs PAK 1st T20I Preview Dream11: Can Babar Azam deliver in the opening T20I?

Stats and Facts

  • England have won three of their past five T20Is against Pakistan. The latest was in 2019, where they chased down a target of 174.
  • Pakistan won their last T20I at Old Trafford, smashing England by nine wickets in 2016. Wahab Riaz was man of the match with 3/18.
  • The chasing team has won the past two T20Is at Manchester (Pakistan in 2016 and India in 2018).

Possible Playing 11

Will Dawid Malan or Joe Denly get the first opportunity for England? Also, Jason Roy’s injury means that either Tom Banton or Sam Billings will likely open with Jonny Bairstow.

England: 1. Jonny Bairstow (wk), 2. Tom Banton, 3. Dawid Malan/Joe Denly, 4. Eoin Morgan (c), 5. Sam Billings, 6. Moeen Ali, 7. Tom Curran, 8. Chris Jordan, 9. David Willey, 10. Adil Rashid, 11. Saqib Mahmood

Can Mohammad Hafeez, who averages just 14.88 in nine T20Is vs England, make an impact? Eyes will also be on Iftikhar Ahmed, who is striking at 141.88 in eight T20Is so far. Also, Pakistan have a decision to make regarding their bowling attack, with a number of seam bowling options available.

Pakistan: 1. Babar Azam (c), 2. Fakhar Zaman, 3. Mohammad Hafeez, 4. Shoaib Malik, 5. Iftikhar Ahmed, 6. Imad Wasim, 7. Mohammad Rizwan/Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), 8. Shadab Khan, 9. Mohammad Amir, 10. Shaheen Shah Afridi, 11. Haris Rauf/Mohammad Hasnain

Old Trafford Manchester Pitch Report and Weather Conditions

As was the case with the Tests at Southampton, rain could prove to be a factor at Old Trafford as some showers are forecast.

The average first innings score in the last three T20Is on this ground is 161.67. If the pitches at Old Trafford this summer are anything to go by, both the batsmen and bowlers can expect the wicket to have something in it for them.

Dream11 Prediction

Option 1:

ENG vs PAK 1st T20I Dream11 Prediction

Option 2:

ENG vs PAK 1st T20I Dream11 Prediction

Fancy a bet on the cricket?  today.

Match Prediction

Rain could have a say in this match. If so, the team who wins the toss would likely choose to bat, and could go on to win the match.

Thanks for reading!

Also read: Do you write cricket blogs? Here are 6 tips to writing great cricket blogs!

Charbel Coorey
Charbel Cooreyhttps://cricblog.net
Charbel is the owner & founder of cricblog.net, based in Sydney, Australia. He started the website to fulfill his love for the game of cricket. Charbel has been featured on other publications including OP India, Times of India, and The Roar, among others. He is also a keen fantasy sports player. Charbel has also had the privilege of interviewing cricketers on the CricBlog TV YouTube channel, including James Neesham, Rassie van der Dussen, Andrew Tye, Shreyas Gopal, Jaydev Unadkat and Saurabh Netravalkar: https://www.youtube.com/@cricblogtv For any story tips or questions, you can contact Charbel at charbelcoorey@cricblog.net.

Read the latest cricket stories and news on CricBlog and bet on your favorite cricket teams at 24betting India sportsbook. All new players get a welcome bonus on the first deposit.

LIVE CRICKET SCORES

FUTURE OF CRICKET