Pitch report
The pitch at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium is generally a batting-friendly surface. The outfield is lush green grass, and there are six to eight-inch squares of artificial turf that act as the wickets. The square has been well maintained over the years and it provides a good balance between bat and ball. This pitch has produced some high-scoring matches in the past with more than 10 runs and over being scored on average.
Last year’s result
Last year’s series saw Pakistan win the first two games with relative ease. The third game was a thriller that went down to the wire but eventually fell in favor of Pakistan. The fourth game was another close game but it wasn’t enough to bring the series back to level. Pakistan managed to clinch the series by winning the fifth and final match by 19 runs. The 2019 series will be played at Sophia Gardens Cardiff in Wales where Pakistan will host England for three T20Is. There are three changes to their team from last year’s squad – Sohaib Maqsood is out injured for this series, Ahmed Shehzad and Hasan Ali have retired from international cricket, while Muhammad Hasnain has been included as a replacement for Hasan Ali.
Weather report
The weather for today is going to be a little on the warmer side in Cardiff. The maximum temperature will be 15 degrees Celsius and the minimum will be 7 degrees Celsius.
The wind speed will be at 8-10 mph while the humidity level is going to be at 50%. The skies are expected to remain cloudy throughout the day with some rain. There is no chance of thunderstorms or strong winds.
The pitch report from ESPNcricinfo says that it has been more than two weeks since the last match was played here and there has been plenty of rain during this time so this should lead to an easy batting surface but with variable bounce due to moisture levels below average. The groundsmen are confident that they can dry out the pitch before game time if needed but it seems unlikely as there is not much more rainfall forecasted for now. On such a wicket, Pakistan’s spinners could play an important role against an English team who often struggle against them (the most recent example being their innings defeat in Dubai).
Teams’ news
The Pakistan Cricket Team had a very successful tour of Ireland and Scotland. They won all five matches they played and have now moved on to their home country to play against the English team. The English cricket team is without a doubt one of the strongest teams in the world right now and so this match will be tough for Pakistan.
The Pakistani Cricket Team has been playing at home for about two weeks now but the pitch report does not look good for them this time around. There are only three dry pitches in all of Pakistan that are currently available and with such few options, it’s going to make it difficult for captain Sarfraz Ahmed to come up with a strong side.
Key players to watch out for
The key player to watch out for in this match is Sarfraz Ahmed. The Pakistan captain, Sarfraz has done a great job of leading his team to victory and will be looking to continue this streak against the English team. Other players to keep an eye on are Fakhar Zaman and Mohammad Hafeez. Both have been in good form lately and will be looking to take that momentum into this game. England’s key player to look out for is Joe Root. He’s come into some real form and will be looking to do well with the bat in both this match and the rest of the series against Pakistan. As for predictions, it’s hard to say who will win as it’s always difficult playing in foreign conditions. If we had to pick one though, our cricket betting tips would suggest picking England based off their recent performances.
