Players of both the teams are out on the field for their respective national anthems. The T20 World Cup 2026, Super 8 match between England and Pakistan shall begin soon. 

"66 and 67 metres square. It certainly looks a very good surface. It looks really, really good. A typical Pallekele wicket. England played on a couple of surfaces here the other day that were used and far more spin-friendly. This one, though, is completely different. There's a full covering of grass, clearly unused, and it feels rock-hard underfoot. Expect good pace, a bit of cut, and that familiar skiddy nature. Conditions like these often improve as the game goes on - it could well be a surface that gets better for batting later in the day," reckon Eoin Morgan and Rameez Raja. 

England (Playing XI): Philip Salt, Jos Buttler(w), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Harry Brook(c), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Liam Dawson, Jamie Overton, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid.

Pakistan (Playing XI): Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha(c), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Usman Khan(w), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Salman Mirza, Usman Tariq.

"We would have batted as well. It's a fresh pitch compared to what we played on a couple of days ago, so hopefully it's a bit better and gives us a good chance to chase later on. We're going in with the same team and there's a lot of confidence in the group. We know we can improve, but the results have been encouraging and we feel a big performance isn't far away. We've done our homework on the opposition, including the unorthodox options like Usman Tariq. There's plenty of footage and data available, so we're well prepared. If we win tonight, a semi-final spot is within reach, but T20 cricket can turn quickly. We'll focus on playing our best cricket and sticking to our processes," said Harry Brook. 

"We're going to bat first. It looks like a good pitch and we want to put up an above-par score and then try to defend it. It's our first game of the tournament here in Pallekele, but we've been playing most of our cricket in Colombo. Wherever you go, adjusting to conditions is key, and we've had to do that quickly after coming back just a couple of days ago. Having said that, conditions across Sri Lanka are generally similar, so we know what to expect today. From the rained-off game, Faheem misses out and Shaheen comes back into the side," said Salman Ali Agha. 

Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha wins the toss, opts to bat against England in the T20 World Cup 2026, Super 8 match on Tuesday in Pallekele. 

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.

Will Jacks has emerged as an unlikely match-winner. His off-spin has been handy, but it is his contributions with the bat, 39 against Nepal, 16 against Scotland and 53 versus Italy, that have repeatedly bailed England out of trouble. Opener Phil Salt returned to form with a match-winning knock against Sri Lanka, as he batted beyond the powerplay for the first time in the tournament.

Former Pakistan skipper Babar Azam will be eager to get a big score in the match against England. Babar, who is struggling for runs, has scored 66 runs in three innings in the ongoing tournament. Babar's knock can prove to be a gamer-changer for Pakistan. 

With conditions set to favour the bowlers, the clash promises to be a tactical battle where spin mastery may well dictate the outcome. Here's head-to-head record between England and Pakistan in T20Is

Total Matches Played: 31

England won: 21

Pakistan won: 9

No Result: 1

Pakistan, meanwhile, will look to exploit the pitch's slow nature with a diverse spin attack. The team’s repertoire features the enigmatic mystery spin of Usman Tariq, complemented by the talents of Saim Ayub, Abrar Ahmed, Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz.

According to AccuWeather, there's a 25 percent chance during the day in the city. Cloud cover is expected to be around 48 percent. In the night, the chances of rain reduce drastically to just 2 percent. Cloud cover, in the night, would be around 12 percent. The weather predictions suggest little to no impact during the match, with the skies expected to be cleared before the match starts today.

After seeing their first match against New Zealand being washed out due to rain, Pakistan gear up for the match against England in Pallekele, hoping the weather gods will shower mercy this time. For Pakistan, beating England is extremely important for their hopes of qualifying for the semifinals, with the team keen to avoid a potential washout like the last time. But, how favourable are the playing conditions in Pallekele on Tuesday?

England also carry the advantage of familiarity with the conditions. They recently completed a clean sweep in a three-match T20I series at the same venue earlier this month and had previously defeated Sri Lanka in their recently concluded Super Eights fixture, giving them a psychological edge heading into the contest.

England may not have hit top gear yet, but the two-time champions have found ways to win. They kicked off their Super Eights campaign with a commanding 51-run victory over Sri Lanka, a result that significantly boosted their net run rate and took them to the top of the standings. Defending a modest total against Sri Lanka, England played according to the conditions perfectly. 

Pakistan's Super 8 journey began with a setback as their first game against New Zealand got washed out due to rain. With only one point from one game, Agha Salman and Co will be eager to get a big win over England, in order to make their case stronger for a spot in the semi-final. 

On a surface expected to assist slow bowlers, both England and Pakistan will lean heavily on their spin resources in their Super Eights clash. The likes of Adil Rashid and Usman Tariq will be in focus today. 

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the T20 World Cup, Super 8 match between England and Pakistan, straight from the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele. Stay tuned for all the live updates.