Just a day out of the T20I World Cup’s start, Pakistan and England are preparing to face off in the fourth and final T20I, slated to be played on Thursday at The Oval. With England leading 1-0 after the first and third game were washed out due to persistent rain, Pakistan will be eager to level the series and finish on a high note.

The series began with much anticipation as it was the only series for both teams ahead of the T20I World Cup 2024 to fine-tune their preparations, but the unpredictability of weather stripped them of their games. The first T20I was washed out without a ball being bowled, however, the second T20I saw England showcase their dominance, securing a convincing 23-run victory to take the lead in the series. The third T20I, much like the first, was abandoned due to rain.

Heading into the fourth game, there’s no surety whether England skipper Jos Buttler will be available for the clash, having remained unavailable in the third T20I match due to the birth of his second child. However, England recorded their dominance over Pakistan in the second game and would hope to continue with that. 

Pakistan, on the other hand, will be eager to bounce back and level the series. Their batting lineup, which includes the likes of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan and Fakhar Zaman, will need to fire collectively to put on a grand performance. And, their bowling attack, led by Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah would hope to curb England’s batting. Both teams would want to do well as it will be the last game before they start their T20I World Cup campaign.

Head to Head 

Matches - 30

Eng Won - 20

Pak Won - 9

NR - 1

ENG Probable XI: Phil Salt (wk), Will Jacks, Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali (c), Sam Curran, Chris Jordan, Mark Wood, Adil Rashid, Reece Topley

PAK Probable XI: Saim Ayub, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan, Fakhar Zaman, Shadab Khan, Azam Khan (wk), Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Amir