Pakistan chose to bat after winning the toss against England in the T20 World Cup 2026 Group 2 match at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Sri Lanka. Faheem Ashraf was replaced by Shaheen Afridi in Pakistan’s playing eleven, while England retained the same lineup from their previous match. Pakistan’s captain, Salman Ali Agha, expressed confidence in their spin and fast bowling attack, emphasizing adaptability to the conditions and excitement for the game.
England’s captain, Harry Brook, mentioned that they would have also preferred to bat first on the fresh pitch. He highlighted the team’s confidence despite not achieving their best performance yet and emphasized the importance of preparation against Pakistan’s bowlers and batters. Both teams expressed readiness and optimism for the match, acknowledging the unpredictable nature of T20 cricket.
The playing XIs for the match are as follows:
Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha (c), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Usman Khan (wk), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Usman Tariq, Salman Mirza
England: Philip Salt, Jos Buttler (wk), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Harry Brook (c), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Liam Dawson, Jamie Overton, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid
