The Analyst believes England's control with the ball and power with the bat is good enough to secure a T20 series victory over Pakistan
Twenty20 cricket is all about flair and unpredictability.
In that sense it is a perfect format for Pakistan as they are cricketers who are naturally uninhibited – and unpredictable.
Perhaps that accounts for them winning their last six T20 internationals, though these were against a rebuilding Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.
Pakistan have also played more matches in the shortest format of the game than any other country.
Despite that, expect England’s dynamic mix of powerful hitters and controlled bowlers to challenge the home side and potentially win this series 2-1.
England, in fact, have played relatively few T20s.
Jason Roy, for example, has played just three.
Even Joe Root has played only 10.
But England have so much destructive ability with the bat – from Roy and Alex Hales, who have both scored maiden one-day international hundreds on this trip, down through Eoin Morgan, the rejuvenated Jos Buttler and the daring Sam Billings.
It would be good to see the effortless skills of Hampshire’s James Vince get a go, too.
And David Willey has a 40-ball T20 hundred to his name.
The key to bowling in T20 is to remain calm amidst the carnage.
It is going to happen to you one day whether you like it or not, so you might as well accept it.
Bowlers who have good changes of pace – Reece Topley and Chris Woakes – are handy, but they are phlegmatic types, too, and that is even more important.
Being able to second-guess the batsman’s intentions is also vital. Smart bowlers are what you need.
Topley and Woakes are both that and in Adil Rashid England have someone who can turn the ball both ways, which is useful if you have a left-hander and a right-hander at the crease, and take wickets.
The only thing they do not possess is genuine pace.
England like to plan their matches carefully and that won’t be quite so easy against Pakistan as they have a habit of drafting in unknowns.
This time it might be the 39-year-old dasher Rafatullah Mohmand for his first international match.
He has an impressive strike rate of 137 in domestic T20 cricket, but obviously this is a significant step up. He won’t be short of confidence though.
England do know plenty about the Pakistan captain, Shahid Afridi, veteran of 398 ODIs and 84 T20s.
‘Boom Boom’ is synonymous with explosive batting but it has been in decline for a while now – he has only one score beyond 12 in his last seven innings.
He is symptomatic of this Pakistan team: mercurial but a little on the old side.
They have more experience, but England have more talent.
