Pakistan have come under fire from all corners as they got steamrolled twice by a second-string England who have a 2-0 unassailable lead in the three-match series.
The second ODI saw Pakistan lose yet another match despite bowlers doing well to restrict England to a modest total. The result was in the balance when England was bowled out for 247 but Pakistan finished well-short on 195 all out against disciplined opponents.
With the first-choice squad still in quarantine after a COVID-19 outbreak, the second string stepped up for the second time in three days. Phil Salt top-scored with 60, Saqib Mahmood was excellent again with the new ball, allrounder Lewis Gregory paired 40 vital runs with three wickets, and wicketkeeper John Simpson showcased some impeccable glovework.
For the second time Pakistan’s much-experienced batting line-up which includes world No 1 ODI player and their skipper Babar Azam, Mohammed Rizwan, Fakhar Zaman failed to make an impact in English conditions and anchor the chase.
Pakistan will surely look for a consolation win.
Head-to-head
This will be their 91st meeting in ODIs. England lead the head-to-head record, 55-32. Last two ODIs have been won by England.
Match and telecast details
Match: 3rd ODI match between England and Pakistan
Date: July 13 (Tuesday), 2021
Time: 5:30 PM IST
Venue: Edgbaston, Birmingham
TV Channels: Sony Sports Network in India; Ten Sports in Pakistan; Sky Sports in UK; ESPN, Willow TV in USA; SuperSport in South Africa
Live Streaming: SonyLIV
Likely XIs:
England: Phil Salt, Dawid Malan, Zak Crawley, James Vince, Ben Stokes (c), John Simpson (wk), Lewis Gregory, Craig Overton, Brydon Carse, Saqib Mahmood, Matt Parkinson
Pakistan: Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Sohaib Maqsood, Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf
Full Squads
England: Ben Stokes, Jake Ball, Danny Briggs, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Lewis Gregory, Tom Helm, Will Jacks, Daniel Lawrence, Saqib Mahmood, Dawid Malan, Craig Overton, Matt Parkinson, David Payne, Phil Salt, John Simpson, James Vince.
Pakistan: Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan (vc), Abdullah Shafique, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Haris Sohail, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Usman Qadir.
