Sports Desk
MANCHESTER: Rain interrupted play in the first Twenty20 international between England and Pakistan being played at Old Trafford on Friday.
England had made 131 at the loss of six wickets with four overs left in their innings before rain interrupted the game. Opener Tom Banton led the English team with a 71-run innings that saw four fours and five sixes.
For Pakistan Shadab Khan and Imad Wasim took two wickets each.
Earlier, Pakistan had won the toss and decided bowl first as the tourists decided against giving a debut to teenage batsman Haider Ali, preferring the experience of Mohammad Hafeez.
Meanwhile, Mohammad Rizwan, who kept superbly during Pakistan’s 1-0 defeat in a three-Test series by England concluded Tuesday, was preferred behind the stumps to former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed.
Pakistan’s attack included left-arm quick Mohammad Amir.
“We have prepared well and the team is very confident,” said Babar at the toss with the help of an interpreter. He added that the team was in England since the last two months and their preparation was good, adding that he was confident of the players.
“We would have looked to do the same (bowl first),” said England captain Eoin Morgan, with batsman Joe Denly and left-arm quick David Willey not making it into the final XI.
This series should have acted as a warm-up for the T20 World Cup in Australia in October but COVID-19 means the global showpiece has now been rescheduled for 2021 in India.
Pakistan’s skipper Babar Azam has won the toss and decided to bowl first in the first T20I against England at Old Trafford.
Babar seemed confident after calling for bowling first. “The weather here seems like having an advantage later on while chasing. We will try to restrict them on fewer total,” he said.
England’s skipper Eoin Morgan believes that his men will make the most of home conditions. “Our focus is to play positive and post a strong total to put a solid foundation for our bowlers to do their job,” said Morgan.
Teams
England: Jonny Bairstow (wkt), Tom Banton, Dawid Malan, Eoin Morgan (capt), Sam Billings, Moeen Ali, Lewis Gregory, Tom Curran, Adil Rashid, Chris Jordan, Saqib Mahmood
Pakistan: Babar Azam (capt), Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Rizwan (wkt), Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Amir, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf
