Hello and welcome to the coverage of the T20 World Cup 2026 Super Eights match between England and Pakistan at the Pallekele International Stadium in Kandy.
On a surface expected to assist slow bowlers, both England and Pakistan will lean heavily on their spin resources in this crucial fixture.
England may not have hit top gear yet, but the two-time champions have found ways to win.
They enter the match with momentum after a dominant 51-run win over Sri Lanka that lifted them to the top of the Group B standings.
Pakistan, meanwhile, are in a must-win situation.
Defending a modest total against Sri Lanka, England played according to the conditions perfectly. Their spinners did the bulk of the work along with pacer Jofra Archer to trigger a dramatic Sri Lankan batting collapse.
The ever-reliable leg spinner Adil Rashid and left arm spinner Liam Dawson have combined well to get the wickets.
England also hold the advantage of familiarity with the venue, having swept a three-match T20I series here 3-0 earlier this month and also winning the Super Eight game against Sri Lanka.
Pakistan's batting inconsistency a concern
Pakistan, in contrast, were left frustrated after their Super Eights opener against New Zealand was washed out, leaving them with just one point and little room for error.
The Men in Green will bank on their varied spin arsenal on a track that traditionally slows as the match progresses.
However, Pakistan's own batting inconsistency remains a concern, especially against quality spin.
While opener Sahibzada Farhan, who is the leading run scorer of the tournament with 220 runs from four innings, has done well, the likes of Saim Ayub and captain Salman Agha, who is capable of both anchoring and accelerating, are yet to fire.
Head-to-head record
England and Pakistan have met 31 times in T20Is so far, with England winning 20 of them. Pakistan have won nine outings while one game each was tied and ended as a No Result.
Teams (from):
England: Harry Brook (Captain), Tom Banton, Jos Buttler, Ben Duckett, Phil Salt, Jacob Bethell, Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Josh Tongue, Luke Wood.
Pakistan: Salman Ali Agha (Captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafay, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan, Usman Tariq.