England vs Pakistan 1st T20I Highlights: Rain Plays Spoilsport In Leeds

Alright, folks, not the kind of start we envisioned for this thrilling series, but we must certainly yield to the rain gods now. The relentless downpour at Headingley has shown no signs of letting up since the morning, and unfortunately, the forecast offers no respite. As a result, the game has been abandoned without even a toss. But don't lose heart! The excitement now shifts to Edgbaston for the second T20I, which will take place on Saturday, 25th May. The action starts with the first ball at 7 pm IST (1:30 pm GMT). We're hoping for clear skies to enjoy a full 40-over game. And as always, make sure to join us for the pre-match build-up, but for now, you can switch the tabs and follow the thrilling Eliminator in the Indian T20 League between Rajasthan and Bengaluru. Until then, take care, stay dry, and goodbye for now!

UPDATE - 10.15 pm IST (4.45 pm GMT) - The 1st T20I of this series has been called off due to persistent rain since morning.

UPDATE - 10.02 pm IST (4.32 pm GMT) - We have some bad news folks as it has been raining since morning at Headingly. The square is covered and it is still drizzling. The chances of the game look slim but fingers crossed. We will keep you updated. 

Pakistan on the other hand comes into this series with a series victory under their belt against the Irish side. The side is led by Babar Azam and the players are on a roll with some crucial game time as a unit under their belts. Pacer Mohammad Amir and all-rounder Imad Wasim are back on the side and this will be a real test for them as well since their return from retirement. Pakistan though remains the only nation to have not announced their squad for the ICC T20I cricket World Cup 2024 and they are expected to announce the squad for that during this tour. The players have a lot to prove with the squad yet to be announced. The form of Mohammad Rizwan is a massive plus for the side as he was brilliant on that Ireland tour and played match-winning knocks in that series. A lot at stake in terms of momentum and pride for both nations as they gear up against each other. Which team will come out on top if the weather permits? We shall find out soon.

England have assembled their galacticos for this series as the players have joined in from the Indian T20 league ahead of the ICC T20I World Cup 2024. The English camp would be delighted with the comeback of Jofra Archer as the pacer is coming back after a lengthy spell due to an elbow injury and this series would be a perfect stage for him to get back into his groove. The side will be led by Jos Buttler who himself is in search of some form. England would be looking to give game time to players like Ben Duckett, Harry Brook, Chris Jordan and others around them. The side would look to start on a winning note and perform collectively in all three departments of the game. 

Hello and welcome to all our esteemed viewers. The 4-match T20I series between England and Pakistan kickstarts today with the first game set to be played at Headingley, Leeds. This series between these two competitive nations will be a perfect platform to test their respective sides against a quality opponent right before the ICC T20I Cricket World Cup 2024. 

... MATCHDAY ...

The cricketing extravaganza continues and the English summer has officially begun as England host Pakistan for a four-match T20I series, the first of which will be played at Headingley in Leeds as both teams gear up for the upcoming T20 World Cup in a few days. England are the reigning T20 World Champions and will be expected to go deep in the tournament but given what happened last time in the ODI World Cup, England will be keen to avoid a repeat of the same and a win in this series will give them loads of confidence. A few of their players are returning from the Indian T20 League with most of them having performed pretty well and there are some players who are either returning from injury or have played a bit of county cricket off late. Jos Buttler will be leading the side and he has been in solid form off late scoring a couple of tons in the Indian T20 League and so have the likes of Phil Salt and Will Jacks. Jonny Bairstow too had a positive outing and the hosts will be hoping that this form continues throughout the summer. Harry Brook opted out of the Indian T20 League and will be eager to get going so will Liam Livingstone who failed to make much of an impact for his franchise and was dealing with injury as well. On the bowling front, the hosts have a huge boost with Jofra Archer returning to action but a lot will depend on the likes of Reece Topley, Mark Wood, and Chris Jordan as Archer eases his way back into the side. Adil Rashid and Moren Ali are the two regular spinners in the side and Tom Hartley has also been added to the squad on the back of some stellar performances in the sub-continent and in the domestic circuit. Moving on to Pakistan, Babar Azam will be at the helm yet again and World Cup-winning coach Gary Kirsten has joined the squad as coach which could be a huge boost to the visiting side. Pakistan recently played in a five-match T20I series against a second-string Kiwi side and that series ended 2-2 and the visitors will be hoping for a much better showing here. The likes of Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman are in good touch with the bat and the return of Fakhar Zaman will certainly galvanize the batting further. The middle order still remains an unanswered question as Saim Ayub too is playing mostly as an opener. However, with the ball, Pakistan will be glad that all their heavy-hitting pacers make the team with the addition of veteran Mohammad Amir who seems to have found a second win in his International T20 career. Given that the T20 World Cup is in West Indies, Amir might be key as he made his name in the same tournament way back in 2010 and will be keen to get going. Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf will be key as usual but Shadab Khan will need to step up in the spin department alongside Imad Wasim if Pakistan are to win this series. A great contest awaits and it is quite close to call as well. Who are you backing to take the early lead in the series?