February 28: Women’s T20 World Cup – England v Pakistan, Canberra
Our XI: Amy Jones, Tammy Beaumont, Natalie Sciver, Heather Knight, Bismah Maroof, Umaima Sohail, Nida Dar, Diana Baig, Sophie Ecclestone, Anya Shrubsole, Sarah Glenn
Captain: Natalie Sciver
There’s no real need to look beyond Sciver for the captaincy. She has proved her mettle with bat and ball time and again. Her batting form has been exemplary for a while now, with 789 runs in the format since 2018, including two fifties in as many matches in the World Cup so far. When it comes to bowling, she has picked up six wickets over three games in January and February at the Manuka Oval.
Vice Captain: Heather Knight
Before the start of this year, Heather Knight had a sole fifty in T20Is. But since the start of the T20 tri-series in Australia earlier this year, she has scored two fifties and a hundred in But since she arrived in Australia, she has scored two fifties and a hundred in just six innings. She has scored 290 runs at an average of 58 and a strike rate of 141.5 in 2020 so far. Of these, have come at the Manuka Oval alone!
Hot Picks
Sophie Ecclestone Ecclestone has been an unsung warrior with the ball for England in the recent past. In her last three T20Is, she picked up five wickets at an economy rate of just over 4, and, in three matches against Pakistan last year, she took six wickets. It might be a good punt to have her as the vice-captain of your team if England decide to bowl first.
Bismah Maroof The Pakistan captain is the highest run-getter for her country in T20Is (2221 at an average of 27.76). She also bowls legspin, and has 36 wickets in the format at an economy of 5.61. Maroof helped ensure a smooth win for Pakistan against West Indies with an unbeaten 38.
Value Picks
Sarah Glenn
Glenn made her T20I debut against Pakistan in December last year, and her performance in that series – four wickets in three games at an economy rate of 5.40 – helped the legspinner earn a spot in the World Cup squad. Her confidence will be high against familiar opponents and she can be expected to put on a good show.
Umaima Sohail The 22-year-old bats in the middle order for Pakistan. In the T20I series against England last year, she got a few starts but failed to capitalize and score a big knock. Sohail will be determined to put up a better show this time around. Among the batsmen in the current squad, Sohail has the highest strike rate in the format (98).
Points to note
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England have won all seven of the T20Is played against Pakistan since February 2016. Moreover, England batted first in all these matches
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Pakistan’s average first-innings score in their last five T20Is has been 142