Five memorable T20I clashes between Pakistan and England...
Thursday 26 November 2015 21:09, UK
Pakistan and England play in the first of three T20 internationals in Dubai on Thursday.
The tourists are looking to carry on their positive performances in their 3-1 series success in the one-day internationals, and get some much-need preparation for the 2016 World T20 in India.
Pakistan and England have both won the tournament before, but who have got the better of the T20 clashes between the two sides? We look at some of their more memorable meetings...
FIRST MEETING
(England 144-7 lost to Pakistan 148-5 by five wickets, Bristol, August 2006)
England and Pakistan first squared off in a T20 international in Bristol back in 2006, where Marcus Trescothick smashed a 33-ball fifty for the hosts. But Mohammad Asif removed Kevin Pietersen for a first-ball duck and Andrew Strauss two balls later to derail England's innings as they managed only 144-7 from their 20 overs.
Mohammad Hafeez's running woes seemingly weren't confined to England's current series in the UAE, as after hitting 46 from 40 balls, he was run out by Paul Collingwood. England spin duo of Jamie Dalrymple and Michael Yardy - yes, I'm as surprised as you are - took a combined 2-30 from five overs to put the squeeze on Pakistan, but a Shahid Afridi special - 28 from only 10 balls - saw the tourists to a comfortable five-wicket win.
TOURNAMENT TENSION
(England 185-5 beat Pakistan 137-7 by 48 runs, The Oval, June 2009)
It would be three years until the two would next play each other, in the 2009 World T20 in England. The hosts had just suffered a humiliating loss to the Netherlands at Lord's. Defeat to Pakistan at The Oval and they would be dumped out of the tournament in two days!
Thankfully a certain Kevin Pietersen showed up, with five fours and three sixes in a 38-ball 58, well-supported by Luke Wright (34 off 16) and Owais Shah (33 off 32) as England set Pakistan 186 to win. The visitors were never up to the task as Stuart Broad took 3-17 and England won by 48 runs to see them through the group stage, although Pakistan would later go on to win the tournament, besting Sri Lanka in the final at Lord's
FIRST TRIP TO UAE
(England 148-6 lost to Pakistan 149-6 by four wickets, Dubai, February 2010)
With another World T20 in the Caribbean just months away, England went to Dubai for a two-match T20I series against Pakistan to prepare. England took the first with Pietersen (43 off 43) and Eoin Morgan (67 off 51) putting on 112 together to comfortably chase down their 130-run target.
Pietersen again shone in the second with 62 from 40, but Jonathan Trott was still in Test match mode at the other end it would seem, with only 39 from his 51 balls. Abdul Razzaq showed him how it should be done with five huge sixes as he smashed 46 from 18 to see Pakistan to a four-wicket win to tie the series, despite Graeme Swann's best efforts - England's offspinner taking 3-14.
WORLD T20 WINNERS
(Pakistan 147-9 lost to England 151-4 by six wickets, Barbados, May 2010)
England would get revenge for that defeat a mere three months later in Barbados, on their way to World T20 success. Yardy - a revelation in that tournament with his slow-left-arm darts - took 2-19, while Ryan Sidebottom and his slower-ball bouncers saw him take 2-28 as Pakistan posted only 147-9 from their 20 overs.
Guess who took it upon himself to take England to victory with the bat? No, it wasn't Trott! Pietersen - named Player of the Tournament - tonked an unbeaten 73 from 52 balls to build on the good start from Michael Lumb (25 off 13) and Craig Kieswetter (25 off 27). The top-order pairing replaced Trott and Joe Denly after the previous meeting with Pakistan and played a huge role in England's T20 triumph.
PIETERSEN PUNISHMENT
(England 129-6 beat Pakistan 124-6 by five runs, Abu Dhabi, February 2012)
Pakistan will be pleased as punch a certain KP will not be playing in the upcoming series as he averages 69.60 against them, with fifties in four of his eight appearances, while he has not managed more than one against any other opponent.
Pietersen was at it again when these two sides last met in a T20 international with 62 from 52 balls, but no other England batsman managed more than 17 as Saeed Ajmal (4-23) had them in a spin and limited the visitors to 129-6. With Pakistan needing just 17 from the final two overs with Umar Akmal and Misbah-ul-Haq both well-set, Broad dismissed the former and Jade Dernbach the latter, with an Afridi run-out thrown in for good measure, as England secured a thrilling five-run win and 2-1 series triumph.
Watch the first match of the T20 Series between Pakistan and England on Thursday, live on Sky Sports 2 HD from 3.30pm.
