Match abandoned due to rain (no toss)
17:37 Local Time, 16:37 GMT, 22:07 IST: Bad news folks! The inevitable has happened and the match has been called off without toss. There has been inclement weather at Headingley and unfortunately, the rain hasn't relented. A false start to the 4-match T20I series. Hopefully, clear skies will greet us in Birmingham for the second T20I on Saturday. There's an electrifying eliminator contest going on between RR and RCB in the IPL. Switch tabs to catch all the action. Until next time, goodbye and cheers!
Pakistan are the only team out of the 20 teams participating in the upcoming marquee event to not have announced their official squad. That shows that they aren’t quite settled yet and there’s an air of uncertainty around them. Haris Rauf is making a comeback after more than 6 months and that's a positive sign for the visitors. But, all depends on the weather if we are going to witness a contest today. Things look gloomy but let's keep our fingers crossed...
17:30 Local Time, 16:30 GMT, 22:00 IST: It was more than one and a half years ago at the MCG that England and Pakistan faced each other in the T20 World Cup final. The Englishmen won a tight game to clinch the trophy. Since then, these two sides haven’t had it easy at the T20I stage. Wins have been difficult to come by and they have struggled for rhythm. This series presents an opportunity for both teams to rectify the chinks in their armour and head to the upcoming T20 World Cup in good spirits. The biggest headline is the much anticipated return of Jofra Archer. He last played for England more than a year ago and he will be raring to go. But, there’s inclement weather at Headingley at present and the radar shows more rain in the vicinity. That doesn’t augur well for both sides.
Squads:
England Squad: Jos Buttler(w/c), Philip Salt, Will Jacks, Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Chris Jordan, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Reece Topley, Mark Wood, Ben Duckett, Liam Livingstone, Tom Hartley
Pakistan Squad: Mohammad Rizwan, Saim Ayub, Babar Azam(c), Fakhar Zaman, Azam Khan(w), Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Amir, Naseem Shah, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Abrar Ahmed, Abbas Afridi, Irfan Khan, Usman Khan, Agha Salman