Townhall Times, New Delhi
Reporter: Bhavika Kalra
Tuesday, February 24, 2026, | Pallekele International Cricket Stadium
Toss: Pakistan won & chose to bat first.
This isn’t just a game; it’s a math problem. After Pakistan’s opener against New Zealand was washed out in Colombo, they are sitting on 1 point. England, meanwhile, just demolished Sri Lanka and is sitting pretty with 2 points and a massive +2.550 NRR.
1. The ‘Must-Win’ Math
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For Pakistan: If they lose tonight, they stay on 1 point. Even if they beat Sri Lanka later, they’d hit only 3 points. If England wins tonight, they hit 4 and are essentially through. Pakistan’s back is officially against the wall.
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For England: A win here effectively punches their ticket to the semi-finals. They are playing with “house money” thanks to that 51-run thrashing of the Lankans.
2. The ‘Tariq vs. Jacks’ Tactical War
The pitch at Pallekele is a slow turner today, and the matchups are fascinating:
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The Spin Squeeze: Pakistan is banking everything on Usman Tariq. He’s been a nightmare for batters this tournament, taking 8 wickets with a ridiculous economy of 5.83. He’s the guy tasked with stopping Will Jacks, who is currently striking at nearly 200.
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The Pace Power: England’s Jamie Overton (7 wickets so far) is the enforcer. He’s been using the extra bounce in Pallekele to extract “hard lengths” that frustrate the Pakistani middle order.
3. Head-to-Head: A History of Pain
Pakistan fans, look away. The history is brutal:
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Total T20Is: 31 Matches.
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England Wins: 21
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Pakistan Wins: 9
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The WC Curse: Pakistan has never beaten England in a T20 World Cup match (0-3).
Playing XI: The Battle Lines
| Pakistan XI | England XI |
| Salman Ali Agha (C) | Harry Brook (C) |
| Babar Azam | Jos Buttler (WK) |
| Saim Ayub | Phil Salt |
| Sahibzada Farhan | Will Jacks |
| Fakhar Zaman | Ben Duckett |
| Shadab Khan | Sam Curran |
| Mohammad Nawaz | Liam Dawson |
| Shaheen Afridi | Jamie Overton |
| Naseem Shah | Jofra Archer |
| Usman Tariq | Adil Rashid |
| Abrar Ahmed | Luke Wood |
The Outlook: 7:00 PM Start
Pakistan choosing to bat first is a bold call. They want to put runs on the board and let their spin heavy hitters (Tariq, Nawaz, Abrar) choke the England chase under the lights. But with Jofra Archer and Adil Rashid in the mix, getting to 160+ will be a dogfight.
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