T20 World Cup: Our five spinners, will give England a tough time, Pakistan's Farhan says

Dubai: Sahibzada Farhan has cautioned England that Pakistan’s spin attack will pose a serious challenge when the sides meet in the T20 World Cup Super Eights clash in Kandy on Tuesday night.

“What we saw in the Sri Lanka-England game was that the ball was gripping and England struggled against spin,” Farhan said on Monday.

“Sri Lanka have one or two spinners but we have five in all so we will give England a tough time on a pitch that looks good and will grip,” he added.

Farhan pointed to England’s total of 146-9 against Sri Lanka on Sunday, highlighting their difficulties against spin. He said England should expect a similar examination from Pakistan’s slow bowlers when the teams face off again at Pallekele in Kandy.

Under pressure

Pakistan are under pressure to secure a victory after their opening Super 8s match against New Zealand was abandoned due to rain. A loss would confirm England’s place in the semi-finals with a game remaining, following their 51-run win over Sri Lanka.

If defeated, Pakistan would have to overcome Sri Lanka in their final Super Eights fixture and rely on other results to advance.

Pakistan’s spinners have dominated so far, claiming 26 wickets across four matches, while their pace bowlers have managed just seven.

History also presents a challenge, as Pakistan have never beaten England in three previous T20 World Cup encounters.

“We are confident and our morale is high,” said Farhan, who struck an unbeaten century against Namibia in the final group match. “We are focused on this match to win and progress.”

Leading the tournament’s run charts with 220 runs, Farhan said he is prepared to face England’s fast bowler Jofra Archer. “Facing Archer will not be difficult because I have faced similar bowlers in Pakistan,” he said.

“So if he has plans against me, I also have plans against him.”

Pakistan are expected to consider bringing in spinner Abrar Ahmed to replace seam-bowling all-rounder Faheem Ashraf.

England could stick with the same lineup for a fifth consecutive match, with Liam Dawson, Will Jacks, Adil Rashid and Jacob Bethell offering spin options.

Sri Lanka and New Zealand are the other teams in the group and will meet in Colombo on Wednesday, with the top two sides progressing to the semi-finals.

With inputs from AFP