Pak vs Eng: Pakistan opt to field first after winning toss in second ODI

By Muhammad JuniadPublished On 05 Jan 2023

Pakistan aims to win remaining two matches and earn 20 points to improve ranking in ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Super League.
Green Shirts had suffered a humiliating loss in first ODI against second-string England squad.
Pakistan will have to make certain changes to playing XI to strengthen middle order.

LONDON: The toss has been delayed in the second ODI between Pakistan and England due to drizzle at the Lord’s cricket stadium.

The match was earlier scheduled to start at 3pm.

Wearing green shirts, a large number of Pakistani fans have already reached the ground to support their favourite team. They are hopeful that Pakistan will take revenge for the loss in Cardiff.

In the opening match of the series, Pakistan faced an embarrassing defeat by new-look England after they were bundled out for 141 in the 36th over.

Pakistan’s dependency over the top-order trio of Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Fakhar Zaman will be exposed if they fail to deliver, especially all at once.

For the middle-order to reach stability and consistency, Pakistan have had to make changes.

England, meanwhile, have made use of the resources available to them. Ben Stokes has returned to international action after recovering from an injury and has been handed the captaincy.

With 20 points of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Super League still up for grabs, Pakistan will want to ensure they take the points and rise up to the second position in the standings, right behind England, who currently are at the top with 75 points.

Pakistan skipper Babar Azam admitted that the players failed to come up to expectations and vowed to address the weakness in the batting line-up.

“We are working on our lower middle-order. We try to give them confidence. The effort is centred around giving them the space to let them apply their game on the field. The more experience they accumulate, the more confident they will grow," he said.