Pak vs Eng: Skipper Sarfraz vows ‘good show’ from team today

After a savage beatdown at the hands of West Indies, the Men in Green would aim today to claim their first victory of the ICC World Cup 2019 as they take on the rising hosts England in the sixth match of the tournament at Trent Bridge.

Sarfaraz Ahmed-led side suffered a harrowing start after its batting line crumbled to 105 run against the short pitched deliveries of Windies and their vulnerability against such bowling tactics would be tested against England, boosting the likes of speedster Jofra Archer.

For Pakistan to have any chance against the top ranked ODI side of the world, the team would need to execute their plans to the perfection, and would need to score full marks in all departments.

However, the Pakistani skipper, disappointed after the initial defeat, was optimistic to make a strong show against the hosts. “England's a tough team but we have played them in a series recently. So, all we need is to play at our potential and come up with a win,” wrote Sarfaraz in a post. “I am sure you will see a good show from us in the next game.”

Coming to the bowling department the revival of Mohammad Amir, who claimed three wickets in the previous match, should provide much relief to the otherwise mediocre bowling line.

Amir would need to make early breakthrough to stop the run barrage that comes with England batting line, whereas, the spinners (Shadab Khan and Imad Wasim) would need to tighten the screws and not allow the hosts to go berserk.

“They've played in England, so they have enough experience and motivation to go and win the game for Pakistan. This is World Cup. It won't be easy for us. It will be a roller coaster, not for us, for all the teams. It's a big tournament, so as long as we learn from our mistakes and we move on, it's better for us," said Pakistan’s bowling coach, Azhar Mahmood.

The match is scheduled to start at 2:30pm Pakistan Standard Time.

Teams:

Pakistan: Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Haris Sohail, Sarfaraz Ahmed(w/c), Mohammad Hafeez, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Amir, Shoaib Malik, Shaheen Afridi, Asif Ali, Mohammad Hasnain

England: Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan(c), Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler(w), Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Liam Plunkett, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood, Tom Curran, James Vince, Liam Dawson