Pakistan Triumphs in T20I Opener Against England, Archer Returns

Pakistan and England faced off in a highly anticipated T20I match at Edgbaston, Birmingham, with Pakistan winning the toss and electing to bowl first. The match marked the return of Jofra Archer to the England team after a lengthy absence due to an elbow injury.

Pakistan's captain, Babar Azam, welcomed the return of Shadab Khan to the lineup after he was rested for the final two T20Is against Ireland. Haris Rauf also made his comeback after recovering from a shoulder dislocation.

England, on the other hand, opted to leave out Sam Curran, the player of the tournament at the 2022 T20 World Cup, in favor of Chris Jordan and Liam Livingstone.

The match began with England's openers, Jos Buttler and Phil Salt, putting on a solid partnership. However, Pakistan's bowlers struck back with regular wickets, including the dismissal of Buttler for 31.

Jonny Bairstow and Harry Brook steadied the innings for England, but they were unable to accelerate the scoring rate. Pakistan's bowlers maintained a tight line and length, restricting England to 161/8 in their allotted 20 overs.

In response, Pakistan's openers, Babar Azam and Saim Ayub, got off to a cautious start. However, Mohammad Rizwan and Fakhar Zaman provided the impetus with aggressive batting.

Rizwan scored a quickfire 37, while Zaman played a crucial knock of 56. Shadab Khan also contributed with a valuable 34, guiding Pakistan to a comfortable victory with 10 balls to spare.

Tags: #Cricket, #T20I, #Pakistan, #England, #JofraArcher