BIRMINGHAM: Pakistani pacers are picking up vital middle-order wickets against a sluggish England after electing to field in the all-important Champions Trophy semi-final in Cardiff.
The hosts have posted 149 runs with the loss of five wickets after 35 overs. The current run rate stands at 4.25, which is considered quite low for British standards in ODI cricket.
Hasan Ali and Junaid Khan are leading the bowling attack for Pakistan as Moin Ali and Ben Stokes look to forge a partnership amidst falling wickets.
This is the first time England and Pakistan are playing against each other in a Champions Trophy match. For England, this has been an especially slow innings, having never scored as low as 136 in 30 overs since the 2015 World Cup.
Wickets
Junaid Khan sent Buttler back by getting a thin edge off his bat in the 34th over. Sarfraz was there to collect the ball.
Buttler could add only four runs to the English scorecard.
Hasan Ali, steaming in, gets the England skipper Eoin Morgan out for 33 runs in the 31st over of the game. Morgan nicked the ball back to Sarfraz, while trying to chase the rather quick delivery, going way outside the off stump.
Shadab Khan claimed Root’s wicket in the 27th over, sending him back to the pavilion just four runs shy of his half-century. Sarfraz picked up a thin edge off Root’s bat behind the wickets in what could be a vital dismissal in Pakistan’s favour.
Hasan Ali picked up Bairstow’s wicket in the 16th over. He got Bairstow to lodge the ball towards deep square leg, where Mohammaz Hafeez was positioned to take the easy catch.
Bairstow was sent back to the dressing room, having scored 43 runs on 57 balls.
Rumman Raees got his first ODI wicket in the fifth over of the game as Hales came down the track lodging the ball straight towards Babar Azam at cover. Hales wrapped up his knock adding 13 runs to the England scorecard.
uhammad Amir developed a back injury during yesterday’s practice session and is not part of the playing eleven today. He is replaced by Ruman Raees, 25-year-old left-arm medium-fast bowler from Karachi.
Additionally, Shadab Khan will be replacing Faheem Ashraf for today’s fixture.
Morgan’s side is sporting one change from its match against Australia as Jonny Bairstow replaces Jason Roy.
The match is expected to go ahead uninterrupted, with only a slim chance of rain later in the day.
Last summer England defeated Pakistan 4-1 in a UK home series. The one match Pakistan emerged victorious in was held in Cardiff, where Sarfraz Ahmed helped Pakistan chase a 300-plus target.
Teams
Pakistan: Azhar Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Ahmed (w + c), Imad Wasim, Rumman Raees, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Junaid Khan
England: JM Bairstow, AD Hales, JE Root, EJG Morgan (c), JC Buttler (w), BA Stokes, MM Ali, AU Rashid, LE Plunkett, MA Wood, JT Ball