Pakistan might have an opportunity to expose England’s instability in it's batting line-up when the two teams meet in a crucial Super Eights match at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup at Pallekele.
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| Pakistan warn England of spin test in T20 World Cup Super Eights as Farhan eyes crucial win in Kandy. |
The result of this high-pressure match could have an affect on both team's ability to progress to the semi finals of the tournament, with opening batsman Sahibzada Farhan stating that it is the Pallekele pitch will have historically provided “grip" and “turn” for the spinners and that England will not be treated kindly by Pakistan, as they try to qualify for the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup.
England’s Spin Woes Exposed Against Sri Lanka
England looked shaky against spin in their last game, only scoring 146/9 against Sri Lanka, even though the conditions should have favored batting. They did manage to win easily by bowling Sri Lanka out for a low score, but Pakistan saw that they struggled against good spin bowling.
Farhan, who has scored the most runs in the competition so far, pointed out that the ball wasn't coming onto the bat as expected, which gave the English batsmen trouble.
“The ball was gripping and England struggled against spin. Sri Lanka had one or two spinners, but we have five,” Farhan told reporters.
Pakistan’s Spin Arsenal: The Key Difference
Heaping on the wickets so far in the tournament, spinners' contributions have significantly overshadowed those of seamers, who have picked up only seven wickets.
As the pitch is expected to stay slow, Pakistan may bolster their spin attack once more through the inclusion of Abrar Ahmed, which might mean that Faheem Ashraf, a seam, bowling all, rounder, will be dropped.
Farhan believed that Pakistan's bowlers had the capability to trouble England for a long time.
Farhan in Red-Hot Form, Ready for Archer Challenge
With an outstanding season thus far, Farhan has built up a lot of confidence due to his excellent performance. His unbeaten century against Namibia pushed him ahead into first place among run scorers for the tournament with a total of 220 runs, which makes him the best batsman that Pakistan has had at this tournament.
While England's Jofra Archer does bring with him some raw pace bowling that can intimidate players like Farhan; however, Farhan was not affected by any of that.
“Facing Archer will not be difficult. I have faced similar bowlers in Pakistan. If he has plans against me, I also have plans against him.”
England Close to Semifinals, Pakistan Under Pressure
England might stick with the same lineup for the fifth game in a row, thanks to their well-rounded bowling attack with spinners like Adil Rashid, Liam Dawson, Will Jacks, and Jacob Bethell.
If England wins, they'll pretty much lock in a spot in the semifinals with one game left. For Pakistan, though, this is a must-win situation since their first Super Eight game against New Zealand got rained out. If they lose, they'll need to beat Sri Lanka and hope other games go their way.
History Against Pakistan, But Momentum on Their Side
Pakistan's past record against England in T20 World Cups is not very encouragingthey have lost to them in all three previous matches. Still, Farhan thinks that the momentum and conditions are finally going their way.
Our spirits are really high. We are concentrating on this game to win and move forward.
Considering that spin is likely to be the main feature of the pitch in Kandy, England's batsmen will have their work cut out, whereas Pakistan view this encounter as their highest probability of rewriting history and staying in the World Cup race.
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