Pakistan captain Babar Azam won the toss and elected to bowl first against England in the second T20I of their four-match series in Birmingham on Saturday (May 25, 2024). The match marks the return of England's star fast bowler Jofra Archer to international cricket after a 14-month injury layoff. (Streaming | More Cricket News)
As for Pakistan, their tearaway fast bowler Haris Rauf is back in the fold.
Explaining his rationale for fielding first, Babar said: ""The pitch looks good, a bit of swing." He added: "Haris Rauf is back, which is a boost. We have a good bunch of fast bowlers. Simple message to enjoy yourself and prepare for the World Cup. T20 is a fast game, need to play according to the situation."
England skipper Jos Buttler said: "Excited for Jofra, long road for him but looks great and looks fit. Livingstone, excited for him too, lots of options within the team. We are focussed on the here and now, fantastic to be back in England, looking forward to today."
Playing XIs
England: Philip Salt, Jos Buttler (wk/c), Will Jacks, Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Chris Jordan, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Reece Topley.
Pakistan: Saim Ayub, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan, Fakhar Zaman, Azam Khan (wk), Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Amir, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf.
The first T20I between the two teams at Leeds was abandoned without a ball bowled, due to incessant rain. The series then effectively becomes a three-game affair, with the next match slated in Cardiff on May 28 and the final one at the Oval on May 30.
The T20I series is crucial for both teams in the run-up to the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, that commences in Texas (United States take on Canada in match 1) on June 1.
