LEEDS: Persistent rain saw the first Twenty20 international between England and Pakistan at Headingley on Wednesday abandoned without a ball being bowled.
The match was meant to be the launchpad for reigning champions England’s defence next month of their T20 World Cup title in the Caribbean and the United States.But a heavy and lengthy downpour in Leeds led the umpires to call the game off approximately an hour before the scheduled 1730 GMT start.
The four-match series against Pakistan, the team England beat to win the 2022 T20 World Cup final in Melbourne, will now continue at Birmingham’s Edgbaston ground on Saturday before games next week in Cardiff and at the Oval.
England were also the defending champions heading into last year’s 50-over World Cup in India but Jos Buttler’s men suffered a tame exit, losing six of their nine matches.The Pakistan T20 series could see the return to international duty of England fast bowler Jofra Archer. Injuries have blighted the quick’s career, with elbow and back problems sidelining the 29-year-old from top-level cricket for 14 months.
Pakistan women will take on England women in a three-match One-day International series, commencing tomorrow at the County Ground in Derby. The second ODI will be played in Taunton on May 26, followed by the third ODI in Chelmsford on May 29.
The series, which is part of the ICC Women’s Championship’s 2022-25, will be Pakistan’s eighth and final series in the cycle.
Pakistan are currently positioned on fifth spot with 16 points in the 10-team Women’s Championship. The top five teams from this championship, along with hosts India, will directly qualify for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025.
Earlier on the tour, both sides had featured in three T20Is, which were won by the hosts 3-0.Opening batter Sidra Amin (948 runs at an average of 52.66 in the ICC Championship 2022-25), said: “Despite the recent T20I series not going our way, we are fully focused and eager to put on a good performance in the upcoming ODIs against England.
“We believe in our capabilities and are focused on executing our plans well in the upcoming ODI series. The team spirit is high, and we are determined to end the ICC Women’s Championship matches on a positive note.”
Pakistan Women’s captain Nida Dar on Friday became the highest wicket-taker in the shortest format of the game during the second T20 international match against England at County Ground in North Hampton.
Pakistan women lost the three-match series in their tour of England yesterday after England beat the Green Team by 65 runs. All-rounder Alice Capsey collected the player of the match award for her 31 runs with the bat and two wickets.
Last month, Dar became the second bowler from the country to claim 100 One-day International wickets.She overtook Australian swing bowler Megan Schutt after she took two wickets in her four overs and gave away 33 runs in the match against England yesterday.
Nida went wicketless in the first encounter between the sides having come close to the milestone in Pakistan’s home series against the West Indies.The English side won the toss and elected to bat first and Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey and Nat Sciver-Brunt helped their side to 144 in their 20 overs.
The side paced their innings comfortably, scoring 48 runs in the power play before Bouchie fell at 66 after the halfway mark. Sciver-Brunt scored 6 fours in her 21-ball innings at a strike rate of 147 to up the ante for her side.
Daniel Gibson scored 18 in nine balls with two fours and a six towards the end to finish beyond the 140-run mark.Dar’s record-breaking wicket came in the last over of the innings where she dismissed Amy Jones on the first ball of the over.
Pakistan, in response, lost their first wicket at eight runs after a slow start from the side. The wickets kept falling for the visitors as Sidra Ameen, Aliya Riaz and Muneeba Ali were the only ones to contribute in double figures for the side.
Sophie Ecclestone was the pick of the bowlers from the England side after she took three wickets in three overs.
