🏏ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026: S8 - M45: England vs Pakistan🏏 - Page 3

England have built momentum through the first half of the competition and are now trying to turn that into something cleaner: a complete performance that doesn’t wobble when the grip in the ball increases and the pace disappears.

Pakistan, meanwhile, have leaned hard on spin as both a brake and a weapon, and this surface can reward that patience if they bat with discipline and defend with clarity.

The tactical headline is simple: England’s batting, especially through the middle, has looked most vulnerable when teams slow it down. Pakistan will try to drag them into that zone and keep them there. For Pakistan, the counter-pressure is upfront - they will need enough runs on the board, because England’s death overs and chasing instincts can turn tight games

Pakistan's Super 8 so far

Pakistan have not bowled or batted in the Super 8s yet - their opener against New Zealand in Colombo on February 21 was abandoned without a ball bowled because of persistent rain. The washout meant one point each and left Pakistan walking into today's England game with nothing banked on the field: no rhythm, no-form-line, no tactical proof - just a table that is still open but shrinking fast.

England's Super 8s so far

ENG vs PAK T20 World Cup LIVE Score: England have played one Super 8 game so far, and they started with a statement: a 51-run win over Sri Lanka in Kandy. England made 146/9 on a slow surface after being kept quiet in the powerplay, then bowled Sri Lanka out for 95 in 16.4 overs. The difference was the squeeze: Sri Lanka were 34/5 inside the powerplay and never recovered. Will Jacks was central to it - 21 with the bat and 3/22 with off-spin, earning the player of the match - while Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid and Liam Dawson

Pakistan's group stage

Pakistan's route to the Super 8s had a bit of everything - an early scramble, a denting reality check and then one emphatic qualifier. They opened Group A edging the Netherlands by three wickets in Colombo, getting over the line but not exactly settling nerves. Three days later, they put up 190 and beat USA by 32 runs at the same venue - a scoreline that reflected Pakistan's stronger bowling control after a messy batting finish. The big blow came against India in Colombo on February 15, when Pakistan were bundled out for 114 chasing 176 and lost by 61 runs. With qualification on the line, they responded hard: 199/3 followed by Namibia 97 all out, a 102-run win powered by Sahibzada Farhan and a ruthless spin squeeze.

How England got to Super 8

England's group stage was a mix of narrow escapes, one clear stumble, and then a late surge to seal Super 8s. They began with a last-over scare against Nepal in Mumbai, scraping home by 4 runs after posting 184. West Indies then exposed their soft underbelly in the middle overs, beating them by 30 runs at the Wankhede. From there, England steadied: a 5-wicket chase against Scotland at Eden Gardens, followed by a 24-run win over Italy in Kolkata to finish the job.

Is it a semi-final trial run

This is the kind of Super 8 game that quietly decides the table before it looks decided. England start the night on top of group 2 with 2 points and a net run rate of +2.550 after their 51-run win over Sri Lanka - and the equation is blunt: win tonight, and they are effectively through to the semis. Pakistan, on 1 point after their washout against New Zealand, can't afford to let England spring away. Beat England here and the group cracks open; lose, and Pakistan are suddenly chasing the equation with almost no room for a bad phase, let alone a bad night.

It is time for a do-or-die

It is a Super 8s game that is more about the pressure it carries. England's big task is to keep their innings fluent once the ball slows and the run-rate needs nudging. Pakistan's must-win detail is simpler and harsher: their top order has to give their bowlers something real to defend, because their best cricket still comes when spin can dictate the tempo, not chase it. Expect a tactical arm-wrestle through the middle overs - the phase where England try to stay ahead without risks, and Pakistan try to force them into it.

Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has told that all-rounder Shadab Khan should silence critics through his performances after the latter hit back at criticism by stating that it was only a team in which he played that managed to beat India in a World Cup match. Pakistan had come under fire from former players after their 61-run loss to India in the 2026 T20 World Cup. Shadab then made his comments after Pakistan beat Nambia by 102 runs in their next match and thus sealed qualification to the Super Eights.

Shadab and other senior members of the current Pakistan squad like Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi played an important role in their victory over India in a group stage match of the 2021 T20 World Cup. It was the first, and thus far only, time that Pakistan had managed to beat India in any men’s World Cup match, T20 or ODI. “Shadab was absolutely right when he said that we didn’t beat India in the World Cups, but his side did. They got respect after that, but they couldn’t handle it. After they defeated India, they could not handle the issues between them. Shadab should also know that when he was not able to perform for the team, we stood up for him on national television, saying he is the backbone of the team,” said Shahid Afridi

Next on the menu: what to expect from the Pallekele deck. Helpfully, my colleague Abhimanyu Bose - who'll be on here later - has transcribed Eoin Morgan's pitch report: "It looks really, really good. Looks like a typical Pallekele wicket. England played two surfaces over on a used wicket the other day that was very conducive to spin. We take a little look down here, there's a full covering of grass. Like I said, not used. It's really, really hard. So expect a bit of pace and carry and this will be very, very good to bat on today. I think Pakistan will bat first. I think England will chase later on because here, it can skid on and be better to bat later on."

Thank you for the tag..i. cannot help but

We'll find out the teams shortly. Pakistan are expected to continue with Fakhar Zaman as the extra batter for this one, although that would mean Faheem Ashraf (who has only bowled two overs in the tournament) continuing as the nominal No.9. On TimeOut, our panel discussed whether this was game for Pakistan to bring back Abrar Ahmed. England are likely to be unchanged, too, and Brook will be hoping that Jos Buttler finally emerges from his funk after a misfiring tournament so far.

Pak won the toss and decided to BAT first