Cricket

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.

England and Pakistan Set for T20I Series Ahead of World CupEngland and Pakistan will face off in a three-match T20I series at Headingley on Wednesday, marking their first encounter since the thrilling 2022 T20 World Cup final. While the stakes may not be as high this time, both teams are eager to prove their credentials as they prepare for the upcoming World Cup in Australia.Despite their World Cup success, both England and Pakistan have struggled in T20I cricket since then. England has won only two of their nine T20I series, while Pakistan has a similar record. Both teams were also eliminated from the ODI World Cup in the first round.However, this series serves as a crucial warm-up for the T20 World Cup, and both teams are taking it seriously. England has recalled Jofra Archer, who is making his first T20I appearance in over a year, while Pakistan is expected to field a strong bowling attack led by Haris Rauf, Shaheen Afridi, and Naseem Shah.England captain Jos Buttler is keen to avoid a repeat of their disappointing ODI World Cup performance. "We're presented with a new opportunity, a different format," he said. "We want to give a better account of ourselves."Pakistan captain Babar Azam is also looking forward to the series. "We're excited to play against [Archer]," he said. "We have that pace of bowlers in Haris Rauf and Shaheen, so I wouldn't say we're fearful, but we are excited."The weather forecast for Headingley is overcast, which could impact the game. However, both teams are determined to put on a good show and prepare for the World Cup.

Jofra Archer's impressive return to action for Sussex's second XI against Kent has raised hopes that he will be ready for England's upcoming series against Pakistan. The fast bowler, who has been plagued by injuries in recent years, bowled six overs and took one wicket, showcasing his pace and aggression.Archer's comeback has been a long and arduous journey. After struggling with a long-term elbow injury, he returned to action in early 2023, only to suffer a stress fracture of the back. However, his performance against Kent suggests that he may finally be putting his injury woes behind him.The 29-year-old's first delivery was a short and wide loosener, but he quickly found his rhythm, bowling with pace and accuracy. He dismissed Ekansh Singh with a sharp bouncer that the batter fenced loosely at, and also had a strong appeal for a leg-side catch turned down.Archer's return is a major boost for England, who are preparing to defend their T20 World Cup title in Australia later this year. White-ball captain Jos Buttler has hailed Archer's comeback as a "huge encouragement," but has also cautioned against expecting too much too soon."Everyone knows what he is capable of and the attitude he possesses," Buttler said. "As a captain, he is someone you can always turn to in a game because he always has a trick up his sleeve.""It's great to be able to call on him, but it's important to manage expectations. He has been out of it for a while now, so we will need to look after him and realize that it might just take him a little while to be the Jofra of 2019."Archer's return to fitness is a testament to his resilience and determination. If he can stay healthy, he will be a key asset for England in their quest to retain the T20 World Cup.

Paceman Jofra Archer has been recalled to England's squad for the defense of their T20 World Cup crown after a year out of action. The 29-year-old, who has endured a string of injuries since his international breakthrough in 2019, has not played competitive cricket for a year but has recovered from a right elbow injury.Archer's return is a major boost for England, who are looking to retain the title they won in Australia in 2022. The right-arm quick has taken 15 wickets in 15 T20 appearances for England, and his pace and accuracy will be a valuable asset to the team.Archer's recall is also a testament to his resilience and determination. After suffering a stress fracture of his elbow in 2021, he underwent surgery and spent months rehabilitating. He made a brief return to action in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2022, but was forced to withdraw after just two matches due to a recurrence of the injury.However, Archer has worked hard to regain his fitness, and he is now back to full strength. He has been playing for Sussex in the County Championship, and he has taken 14 wickets in four matches.Archer's return to the England squad is a welcome boost for captain Jos Buttler. The team is already without Ben Stokes, who has ruled himself out of the T20 World Cup to focus on regaining full fitness as an all-rounder.England will begin the defense of their title against Scotland in Barbados on June 4. They will also play Pakistan in a four-match T20 series beginning at Headingley on May 22.

Jofra Archer, the enigmatic English fast bowler, has expressed his desire to represent his country at the upcoming T20 World Cup in the Caribbean. However, he has also cautioned that he may struggle to endure another "stop-start year" after battling persistent injuries over the past three years.Archer has been sidelined since May 2023 due to an elbow injury, but the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is planning his return to international cricket during the four-match T20I series against Pakistan in late May, just before the World Cup. He is expected to be included in England's provisional World Cup squad, which must be submitted to the ICC by May 1.England will kick off their World Cup campaign at Kensington Oval in Barbados with matches against Scotland and Australia on June 4 and 8, respectively. Archer was born and raised on the island and has trained with England squads there on recent tours, but he has never played an international match there."I really do want to be in the team," Archer said in an interview with The Athlete's Voice by 4CAST. "I really do want to be playing back at home… I'd love my family and my dogs at that first game back. I haven't played for England at all this year, so I think it would be really fitting if that could happen."Archer traveled to India last month with Sussex's pre-season tour, which he described as a "good gauge" and a "valuable check" on his progress. Rob Key, England's managing director, stated earlier this month that Archer had returned to the Caribbean to continue his rehabilitation, while also ruling him out of contention for Test cricket this summer."The last two years have been really stop-start, so I just think that everyone's going to just take it a bit easy," Archer said. "If I'm ready then fine, happy days. But if I'm not, they're still supporting me until whenever I am ready.""Worst-case scenario, even if I don't make it to the World Cup for whatever reason, there's still the T20 Blast, there's still the Hundred. There's still cricket that I haven't got a chance to play in the last couple of years. As much as I want to play in the World Cup, if it doesn't happen for whatever reason, at least I still know I could be somewhat active as well."Archer also discussed the impact of negative social media comments on his mental well-being during his time on the sidelines. "Everybody - honestly, everybody - has an opinion. It doesn't matter what you do or how good you are, everyone will have a go at you at some point," he said."Even now, any time England or my franchises post, all of the comments are - or if I post training clips, people are like: 'He'll probably be injured tomorrow.' It's just stupid comments like that… I really need people to take accountability for what they say, because if you're saying that stuff, you've got to answer for it."