Pakistan will face England today in the Super Eight stage of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, with both sides eager to make a place in the semi-finals.
The match will be played at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy, Sri Lanka, starting at 6:30pm local time.
For Pakistan, the game carries added pressure. Their opening Super Eight fixture against New Zealand was washed out in Colombo due to rain, meaning they shared the points without a ball being bowled.
With only two matches in this stage, they now need a win to keep qualification firmly in their own hands.
England, meanwhile, made a strong start by beating Sri Lanka by 51 runs. Another victory would secure their place in the last four with a match to spare.
Do or die situation
Pakistan’s path to the semi-finals is narrow. A defeat would leave them needing to beat Sri Lanka in their final Super Eight match and depend on other results.
England is in a stronger position. Their win over Sri Lanka, in which they bowled the hosts out for 95, lifted them to the top of Group 2 on net run rate.
The head-to-head record also favours England.
In the previous 31 T20 internationals between the teams, England have won 21 and Pakistan nine, with one no result. Pakistan have yet to defeat England in a T20 World Cup meeting.
England appears to be building momentum. They have won their last three matches in the tournament and look settled in both batting and bowling.
Will Jacks has been among their standout performers, scoring quickly at the top of the order. The bowling unit, led by a mix of pace and spin, has also delivered consistent results.
Pakistan’s campaign has been less smooth. They were heavily beaten by India in the group stage but responded with a dominant win over Namibia, where Sahibzada Farhan scored an unbeaten 100.
The team is expected to rely heavily on spin in Kandy. Pakistan’s spinners have taken 26 wickets in the tournament so far, compared with seven by the seamers.
Officials have suggested the pitch at Pallekele may again favour slower bowlers.
Weather outlook
Rain disrupted Pakistan’s previous match in Colombo, but the forecast in Kandy is more encouraging.
Temperatures are expected to reach around 33°C (91°F), with only a 25% chance of rain. A full match and a clear result are likely.
Possible playing XI
Pakistan
Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha (captain), Babar Azam, Usman Khan (wicketkeeper), Khawaja Nafay, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Tariq
Shaheen Shah Afridi could return after missing recent matches, while spinner Abrar Ahmed is also in contention as Pakistan consider a spin-heavy attack.
England
Jos Buttler (wicketkeeper), Phil Salt, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook (captain), Tom Banton, Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid
England are likely to name an unchanged side following their win over Sri Lanka.
Also read: Pakistan vs India: Was it Babar Azam’s last match against India?
