England vs Pakistan 3rd T20 predictions: Salt can lead Three Lions from the front
- Phil Salt has been Top England Batter in four of their last six T20 internationals
- Salt averaged 39.55 in 12 innings at this year’s Indian Premier League
- Recommended bet: Phil Salt to be England Top Batter
England and Pakistan continue their preparations for the upcoming T20 World Cup when they cross swords at Cardiff’s Sophia Gardens on Tuesday evening.
After the opening match of the four-game series was rained off at Headingley, England drew first blood with a 23-run victory at Edgbaston on Saturday.
Captain Jos Buttler made the match-winning knock of 84 to end an indifferent sequence of short-format results for the Three Lions since their five-wicket win over Pakistan in the 2022 World Cup final in Melbourne.
Team news
Buttler will once more open the batting, keep wicket and captain the England side.
Vice-captain Moeen Ali opened the bowling at Edgbaston and is likely to feature as one of several all-rounders in the hosts’ line-up.
Surrey’s Sam Curran could come in for his first start of the series and may replace Jofra Archer, who took 2-28 in his first England match since March 2023.
Tom Hartley could be given his first opportunity in England’s white-ball team, possibly at the expense of Lancashire Lightning teammate Liam Livingstone while Ben Duckett will be hoping for a chance to stake a claim in the batting order.
Mark Wood has not yet been risked and England may decide to keep him wrapped in cotton wool until the serious stuff starts in the Caribbean next month.
As for Pakistan, Naseem Shah could make his first appearance of the series if the tourists decide to rotate their fast-bowling battery.
Abbas Afridi is another who could get a chance after making the cut for the Men in Green’s World Cup squad, but fellow paceman Hasan Ali was released from the squad to return to Warwickshire after missing out.
The stats
England have won eight of the nine T20 internationals they have played in Cardiff, but the one they lost was the most recent — a 58-run defeat to South Africa in 2022.
Opener Phil Salt scored 435 runs at at average of 39.55 and a strike-rate of 182 for Kolkata Knight Riders in this season's IPL.
Pakistan's Mohammad Rizwan has scored 60 or more in six of his last 11 T20 innings against England, while Shaheen Shah Afridi has taken 17 wickets in his last seven T20 internationals.
Pakistan have not had an opening stand of greater than 16 runs in their last four T20 internationals.
Prediction
If the weather plays ball, England should be the team to beat on Tuesday after regaining the winning thread and fixing some internal communication issues that arose during their diabolical 50-over World Cup defence in India.
Buttler appears to have regained his authority to lead the side and the skipper is in great form too after two centuries in the IPL for the Rajasthan Royals.
Opening batter Phil Salt was just as devastating in his role for the Kolkata Knight Riders and proved to be more consistent too.
The 27-year-old has been England’s highest run-scorer in four of his last six T20 appearances and could outshine Buttler and the rest of the hosts’ stacked batting line-up back at the ground where he made his white-ball international debut three years ago.
