England had suffered a huge blow after their key players were ruled out of the three-match ODI series against Pakistan following a Covid-19 outbreak within the side.
While seven members were tested positive, others were considered to be in close proximity and as a result the whole team was isolated which forced the selectors to name a new squad for the bilateral tie against Pakistan.
But necessity is the mother of invention.
England’s new 18-man squad led by all-rounder Ben Stokes showed the mettle and thumped Pakistan in the first two ODIs of the series to take an unassailable lead. The pace bowlers, especially Saqib Mahmood has thoroughly dominated the Pakistan batting lineup and in the company of Lewis Gregory and Craig Overton formed a formidable force for the skipper Ben Stokes.
Pakistan have been abysmal with the bat and could not cross the 200-run mark in both games. Fakhar Zaman looked on song in the first game but apart from that solitary batting effort, none of the Pakistan batsmen has put their hands up to steer the team to some sort of respectability. The tourists have also suffered due to the complete failure of their star batsmen in Babar Azam and Mohammed Rizwan.
In the last match where the visiting team was handed a target of 248 runs, Babar could only manage to score 19 off 15 before getting trapped in front of the stumps by Mahmood.
Another cause of concern for Pakistan has been the form of opener Imam ul Haq. The left-handed batsman has only scored 1 run and faced a total of three balls in the series so far. Imam’s disappointing patch with the bat has prevented Pakistan from getting a steady start in both matches.
But there are positives for them as well. Fast bowler Hasan Ali scalped a fifer in the second encounter and later chipped in with 31 off 17 that included three maximums. But overall, the Pakistan side has a lot of concerns to negotiate before they take the field in Birmingham.
England, too, have some sort of issues at hand as well. They have struggled to find a good start in both games and could reach a defendable total only on the back of valuable contributions from the lower-order batsmen.
They will have to be at their best as Pakistan's blowing attack showed they are more than capable of compensating for their batsmen's inabilities in the series. Shaheen Shah Afridi took a stern examination of their technique with hostile bowling with the new ball while Hasan Ali bowled immaculate lengths to claim a five-wicket haul.
Match Details
England vs Pakistan, 3rd ODI
Venue: Edgbaston, Birmingham
Date & Time: July 13th, at 5:30 PM IST and 1:00 PM Local Time
Live Streaming: Sony Sports Network
Pitch and Weather Report
There is a chance of some rainfall in the afternoon in Birmingham. The overcast conditions in the initial phase of the game might help the quick bowlers. There is a chance of swing and seam movement in the early part of the match but as the match progresses, the track might have something to offer to the batsmen. So, if you win the toss, bowl first.
Team News
England
The home side is looking in some fine form at the moment. The only cause of concern is the fall of early wickets that needs to be taken care of by the team management.
Nevertheless, the new recruits have done incredible work to help the side take an advantageous 2-0 lead in the series. England might make few changes in this last encounter to test the bench strength.
Pakistan
Pakistan, at the moment, is probably struggling in every department. The fast bowlers, Shaheen Afridi and Hasan Ali have picked few wickets for the team but their efforts have gone in vain.
Moreover, the failure of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan with the bat has proven to be a curse for the team in this series. Now, Pakistan have nothing to lose in this match and would probably look to make few changes in the playing XI for this game.
Probable Playing XI
England
Philip Salt, Dawid Malan, Zak Crawley, James Vince, Ben Stokes (c), Ben Duckett, Lewis Gregory, Craig Overton, David Payne, Saqib Mahmood, Danny Briggs
Pakistan
Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Sohaib Maqsood, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Hasnain, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf
Fantasy XI
Philip Salt, Babar Azam, Sohaib Maqsood, Dawid Malan (c), Fakhar Zaman, Ben Stokes, Lewis Gregory (VC), Shadab Khan, Craig Overton, Saqib Mahmood, Hasan Ali