PAK vs ENG Match Preview- 4th T20I, Pakistan Tour of England 2024
Published - 30 May 2024, 04:39 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 01:12 AM
The PAK vs ENG 4th T20I wraps up the T20I series. The match will be played on May 30, Thursday with England leading the series 1-0 and thus they cannot lose the series if the match ends in a washout.
PAK vs ENG Date and Venue
The PAK vs ENG 4th T20I will be played at The Oval in London on May 30 from 11 pm IST which is 6.30 pm local time. The third T20I was washed out due to rain without even the toss taking place. The weather forecast for the final T20I does not look good.
PAK vs ENG Match Preview- 4th T20I, Pakistan tour of England 2024
England
The side will be happy that they will not lose the series from here on. If the match happens, the series can at best be drawn by Pakistan if they win the last match. England are still well-placed for a 2-0 series win. Rain played spoilsport in the first and the third game. Thus the contest in the series has waned out a bit.
Regular England skipper Jos Buttler missed the second T20I as he and his wife were expecting a child. If he returns he will lead the side or else Moeen Ali will lead the side. England have already named their T20 World Cup squad and it looks a very solid and well-rounded squad.
England Squad
Jos Buttler (C), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, Tom Hartley, Will Jacks, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt (WK), Reece Topley, and Mark Wood
Pakistan
Pakistan lost the second T20I while chasing 183. The side was bundled out for 160. They drew the series against the Kiwis 2-2 and won against Ireland 2-1 heading into this series. The likes of Imad Wasim and Mohammad Amir came out from retirement to play in the T20 World Cup. However, they have not made an impact in the game that they played.
Haris Rauf and Azam Khan who missed the T20I series against New Zealand recently are back in the squad. Pakistan does not have a good head-to-head record against England in T20Is winning just nine and losing 19. They still have a series to win though.
Pakistan Squad
Babar Azam (c), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan
PAK vs ENG Key Battles
Phil Salt vs Mohammad Amir
Salt displayed his immense hitting skills in the recently concluded IPL season. Being an opener, he will face the likes of Amir and Shaheen Afridi and the battle is mouthwatering.
Babar Azam vs Jofra Archer
This is another major battle to watch out for if the match happens. Archer was at his absolute best in the second match and he will look to get Babar out early.
PAK vs ENG Key Players
For England, if Jos Buttler does not play the match, Phil Salt, Harry Brok, and Jonny Bairstow are the key players. With the ball, Archer, Wood, and Adil Rashid will be key.
For Pakistan, Babar, Rizwan, and Fakhar will be key with the bat. With the ball. Amir, Shaheen Afridi, and Shadab Khan will be key.
PAK vs ENG Weather and Pitch Report
Like the third T20I, the fourth T20I also has a rain threat. The match starts at 6.30 pm local time. However, in the afternoon there is a 65 percent chance of rain along with cloudy skies and humidity as well. By the evening, the temperatures drop to 12 degrees and the conditions will remain partly cloudy. However, the constant rain in the morning and the afternoon might hinder the match from starting on time, if at all the match happens.
Talking about the pitch, the Oval is among the better grounds for batting in England. The average first innings score is just above 150 but a lot more is expected to be posted with two good batting sides on display.
Conclusion
As said earlier, England are leading the series 1-0 and thus cannot lose the series from here on even if it rains. They are still in it to finish 2-0 or Pakistan will level the series if they win the match in case it happens.
Also Read: T20 World Cup 2024: Major doubts over Virat Kohli's participation in this T20 WC fixture