England v Pakistan Cricket Match: Preview and Predictions

England’s final preparations for next month’s T20 World Cup in the United States and the West Indies come in the form of a four-match series against Pakistan on home soil.

With many English players on hand to display their form in the ongoing Indian Premier League, this upcoming series between 22nd and 30th May will be the last chance for those on the periphery of Jos Buttler’s side to stake their claim for a starting spot.

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2023 World Cup fallout leaves unanswered questions

England’s white ball programme faces potentially its most intense period of examination since their short-form revolution in 2015. After becoming the first country to hold both the 50-over and T20 World Cups at once, a bitterly disappointing showing in last winter’s One-Day competition in India and a shock series defeat to the West Indies a month later leaves the project on the ropes, with many established international stars’ careers seemingly on the line.

England went into the 2023 World Cup as joint-favourites with the bookmakers but their seventh placed finish highlighted a lack of nuance in their batting approach and not enough depth in an already-depleted bowling attack. Jonny Bairstow’s return to the white ball setup was a disappointing one, Joe Root found himself in horrible touch and both Liam Livingstone and captain Jos Buttler were almost unrecognisable.

Questions were rightfully raised about the sustainability of England’s gung-ho approach with the bat and whether they had essentially shoe-horned a group of T20 players into a much more physically and mentally demanding ODI format. In front of what will likely be a partisan Pakistan crowd at Headingley in the opening T20, existing pressure on these players will only intensify if Jos Buttler’s men deliver anything other than a convincing win.

IPL stars could provide solution 

There is however hope for England in the form of the Indian Premier League, which has allowed some of the Three Lions’ established domestic players to really announce themselves on a global scale and put them in the frame to feature in May’s four-match series.

There is certainly no shortage of competition for the opening position in England’s batting card but arguably their most in-form batsman in that department is Lancashire’s Phil Salt, who has experienced a stellar season in India with the Kolkata Knight Riders. Salt’s incredible ability in finding the ropes in his opening half-dozen deliveries makes him a faster starter than the likes of Jos Buttler and Dawid Malan, both of whom have opened in previous XIs.

Salt will be a good punt for top run-scorer in England’s first innings when the market for Headingley’s clash goes live and will likely be a higher price than the likes of Buttler and Jonny Bairstow, both of whom have scored centuries in this year’s IPL but have otherwise struggled for consistency.

Another notable name is Surrey’s Will Jacks, who has been a prominent figure across the T20 Blast and Hundred competitions on home shores in recent years but has likewise established himself on a wider scale with a record-breaking 41-ball century for the Royal Challengers Bangalore last week. Jacks’ ability with the ball also makes him an option in the reverse innings and he could serve as a like-for-like replacement for the out-of-form Liam Livingstone when England and Pakistan take to the field later this month.