ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026: Pakistan opt to bat first against England in Super 8  clash

Pakistan’s opening Super 8 fixture against New Zealand was abandoned due to rain, with both sides sharing one point each after the match was called off without a result

PALLEKELE: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-Feb 24^th, 2026) Pakistan won the toss and opted to bat first against England in the fifth match of the Super 8 stage of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup at Pallekele on Monday.

Pakistan captain Salman Agha opted to set a target in the 45th match of the tournament, aiming to secure a crucial win in the second round of the competition.

Pakistan’s opening Super Eight fixture against New Zealand was abandoned due to rain, with both sides sharing one point each after the match was called off without a result.

England, meanwhile, made a strong start to their Super Eight campaign by defeating Sri Lanka by 51 runs in their previous outing, boosting their net run rate and strengthening their position in the group standings.

The match is considered vital for Pakistan as they look to register their first win in the Super Eight stage and improve their chances of progressing further in the tournament.

England: 1 Phil Salt, 2 Jos Buttler (wk), 3 Jacob Bethell, 4 Tom Banton, 5 Harry Brook (capt), 6 Sam Curran, 7 Will Jacks, 8 Liam Dawson, 9 Jamie Overton, 10 Jofra Archer, 11 Adil Rashid

Pakistan: 1 Sahibzada Farhan, 2 Saim Ayub, 3 Salman Ali Agha (capt), 4 Babar Azam, 5 Fakhar Zaman, 6 Shadab Khan, 7 Usman Khan (wk), 8 Mohammad Nawaz, 9 Shaheen Afridi, 10 Salman Mirza, 11 Usman Tariq