World Cup 2023, Match 44 | England Predicted XI vs Pakistan

image-losm2bamEngland will be playing against Pakistan in their last game of the World Cup 2023 (Source: AP Photos)

The 2023 World Cup is nearing its business end and it's time to witness the final doubleheader of the Championship event. The second game of the day will see Pakistan and England meet in the final doubleheader of the current 2023 World Cup in Kolkata's historic Eden Gardens.

Pakistan is still in contention for a semi-final spot, but only by a slim margin. Two victories over Bangladesh and New Zealand have moved them to fifth place in the points rankings, just behind New Zealand. The Black Caps' dominant win over Sri Lanka increased their NRR to +0.743. Pakistan are two points behind the Kiwis, and even a win will not be enough as their current NRR stands at +0.036.

Pakistan have an uphill task laid in front of them. If the Men in Green reaches 400 runs in the first innings, they must bundle England for 112 runs or less to qualify. Pakistan must limit England by 62 runs if they score 300 runs after batting first.

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England has found some solace after defeating the Netherlands in their most recent match. Ben Stokes struck a century, and Dawid Malan got some runs in. They would like to end the competition with some pride and the greatest possible opportunity of finishing in the top seven in the league table, which would increase their chances of qualifying for the 2025 Champions Trophy.

So, let us have a quick look at England's predicted XI against Pakistan.


Openers: Jonny Bairstow and Dawid Malan

England have had a set opening pair in the 2023 World Cup with Jonny Bairstow opening along with Dawid Malan. The right and left hand combination hasn't fared well for them but the management have tried to be consistent.

Bairstow is an aggressive batter but failed to convert his starts into a bigger total. His partner, Malan is the leading run-getter for England in the tourney. He has smashed 373 runs in the last eight innings with a century against Bangladesh and 87 against Netherlands.


Middle Order: Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Harry Brook and Jos Buttler

The English middle order consists of some solid names that include Joe Root, Ben Stokes, and Jos Buttler. However, most of the big names have failed to deliver when it mattered the most. Stokes was injured earlier and missed the first half of the competition. However the New Zealand-bred scored a forty and a ton (against Netherlands).

While Root and Buttler have failed to gleam with the bat, Brook did score a fifty against Afghanistan but was unlucky to miss out on a place in the XI in most of the games.


All-rounders: Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, and David Willey

Moeen Ali found his rhythm with the ball in hand and claimed a three-fer against the Netherlands. He is yet to fire with the bat in hand.

Chris Woakes and David Willey shall be the other two all-rounders in the set-up. They forge the new ball pair for the Three Lions and offer the right and left arm variety with the hard new ball. Woakes also scored a fifty against Netherlands in their recent match. Willey is also more than able with the blade in hand.


Bowlers: Gus Atkinson and Adil Rashid

Gus Atkinson replaced Mark Wood who is nursing his knee and should feature in the forthcoming game as well. He had a fabulous outing in the English domestic circuit and also picked plenty of wickets for Surrey in the T20 Blast.

Adil Rashid is the premium spinner of England and has been one of the few positives this season. They have scalped three wickets in their latest match against the Dutch.


England Predicted XI against Netherlands

Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler (c/wk), Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, David Willey, Adil Rashid, and Gus Atkinson.