- England vs Pakistan
- Twenty20 International Series, Game One (of four)
- Wednesday, May 22, 2024, 6.30pm
- Headingley, Leeds
This is a warm-up series between the two finalists at the last T20 World Cup in Australia in late 2022.
England face a Pakistan side who have just beaten Ireland 2-1 in a trio of T20 fixtures in Dublin, coming from 1-0 down in the series, with Mohammad Rizwan starring with a couple of fifties for new coach Gary Kirsten.
If England are going to successfully defend the T20 WorldCup they won at Melbourne, they will have to overturn a poor recent record.
In 12 T20 internationals since that November 2022 final, they have only won four of them.
I’ll give you a spoiler ahead of our World Cup tournament preview. I won’t be backing England to win another title. But I will be backing them to win this warm-up series.
I’m not too keen on getting involved in the 8/15 available on them to win the series, the same with the 4/9 on them to win the opening match. The value isn’t there.
In regards to the correct series score, I’d be a bit concerned about rain ruining one of the matches, so I’ll be swerving that too and concentrating solely on match one for now.
Headingley pitch lends itself to runs - but Rash could cash in
Yorkshire’s home has always provided brilliant surfaces for white ball cricket. The county have regularly been involved in high-scoring Vitality Blast T20 fixtures, with totals of 200 plus a regularity.
This could be a difficult evening for the bowlers, but one man who should now how to succeed here is home hero Adil Rashid.
I like the look of the Evens punt on leg-spinner Rashid to clear 20.5 on bet365′s player performance market. That’s a point a run, 10 per catch and 20 per wicket.
Ladbrokes are also offering 7/4 on Rashid to take over 1.5 wickets in the match, which has appeal.
Rashid hasn’t played since February, so he should be refreshed. And at 36, he knows how to manage his preparations to hit the ground running. I’m backing him to do it amidst a flurry of fours and sixes.
In terms of batting success, Betway are offering odds of 23/10 on an England win and Jos Buttler and Harry Brook to hit one six apiece.
Salt can add seasoning to England’s World Cup title defence
Phil Salt has had an excellent six months. He scored back-to-back T20I hundreds opening the batting for England in the West Indies just before Christmas and has just totalled 435 in 12 matches for Kolkata in an impressive IPL campaign.
Surely, he has to open the batting for England in this warm-up series and then the T20 World Cup.
Paddy Power have Salt at 7/2 to be England’s top run-scorer at Headingley, where the true and pacy pitch should suit his aggressive style.
Back to Betway, and their 5/1 on an England win and over 1.5 run outs in the match looks very appealing. You may have seen in the IPL recently just how likely run outs are in the chaotic pace of T20 cricket. So I’d be having a couple of quid on this selection.
Fakhar Cracker
Just finally, experienced Pakistan left-hander Fakhar Zaman looks over-priced at 6/1 to be his side’s top run-scorer in the series opener, that available via Betfair.
Fakhar has been in excellent form of late, dating back to the end of the Pakistan Super League competition in March. In his last five T20 innings for club and country, he has posted scores of 54, 61, 43, 20 and 78, the latter against Ireland last weekend.
He batted at number four on that occasion. And if England strike early, as I suspect they will, he could be in early with plenty of time to secure a winner.
Top Cricket Betting Offers & Free Bets
:quality(70)/s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/xlmedia/be51e2df-a7fd-4f62-a80e-6f729ca228d9.jpg)
