Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat first in their crucial T20 World Cup 2026 Super Eight match against England on Tuesday at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.
Salman Agha expressed confidence in the pitch, stating, “It looks like a good pitch, and we aim to set an above-par score and defend it.” He also confirmed one change for Pakistan, with Faheem making way for Shaheen Afridi.
Agha noted the fresh pitch, adding, “Hopefully, it’ll be better for chasing.”
Harry Brook shared his preference for securing the win today rather than facing a must-win match against New Zealand on Friday. “That would be lovely, wouldn’t it? But you never know in T20 cricket, it’s such a fickle game,” he said.
Brook also mentioned that had he won the toss, he would have opted to bat first, but he expects a better surface than the one England played on at Pallekele two days ago, in their low-scoring win against Sri Lanka. “Hopefully, it’s going to be a little bit better,” he said. “We haven’t had our perfect game yet. Hopefully, it’s just around the corner.”
England remain unchanged, with the same playing XI for the fifth consecutive match.
Pakistan’s chances of reaching the semi-finals will be decided today. To secure a spot in the semi-finals, Pakistan must win today’s game against England and follow it up with a victory over Sri Lanka.
Pakistan’s opening Super Eight match against New Zealand was abandoned due to persistent rain at the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium on Saturday.
That match was called off after more than two-and-a-half hours of continuous rainfall, shortly after Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha won the toss and elected to bat, resulting in both teams sharing a point.
On the other hand, England is leading the Super Eight group after defeating host nation Sri Lanka in their opening match, securing two points.
Under the tournament’s ‘Fusion Formula’, Pakistan are playing all their T20 World Cup 2026 matches in Sri Lanka. As a result, should Pakistan qualify, the first semi-final will be staged at the R Premadasa Stadium. If they fail to progress, that fixture will instead be hosted at Eden Gardens.
The venue for the final on March 8 will also depend on Pakistan’s progress in the tournament.
According to the latest forecasts, there is no rain predicted around match time at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, easing fears of another washout in the Super Eights stage. The match is scheduled to begin at 7:00pm local time, with temperatures expected to hover around 27°C and a ‘real feel’ of 28°C.
Skies are forecast to remain largely clear, with cloud cover limited to around 14% and visibility extending up to 16 kilometres. Light north-westerly winds of 6km/h, with occasional gusts reaching 13km/h, are expected to offer minimal relief in what will be humid playing conditions.
Humidity levels are projected at 68%, with a dew point of 20°C, suggesting a sticky evening for players and spectators alike. While conditions appear ideal for cricket, weather officials have cautioned that poor air quality may affect residents, particularly those with respiratory issues.
There was little movement over the last week. Tennessee won four more games to continue its undefeated season and maintain its place atop the rankings. Texas Tech and Texas, last year’s WCWS finalists, are right behind. And this week brought a new team to the top 25 to replace Clemson: Grand Canyon.
Here’s this week’s complete ranking.
Player to watch
Sophia Knight, Tennessee
The junior outfielder is as responsible as anybody for Tennessee’s hot start to the season. Knight was named SEC Player of the Week after going 11-for-13 last week. She has recorded eight multi-hit games and is hitting .543 through the first 14 games of the season.
How to watch
Everything college softball on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network, ACC Network, Big 12 Now on ESPN+, ESPN3, ESPN+, SEC Network+ and ACCNX is accessible here, in addition to being available on the ESPN App.
What’s the full schedule
You can check out the complete scoreboard here to stay up to date this spring.
– Tottenham Hotspur defender Micky van de Venis on the radar of Liverpool, Manchester United and Real Madrid, according to TEAMtalk. It is reported that the 24-year-old is expected to leave Spurs in the summer, regardless of whether they avoid relegation, and the Red Devils are the latest club to join the race to sign him. TEAMtalk also reports that the Premier League side aren’t close to reaching an agreement over a new contract with Van de Ven, whose deal expires in 2029, and the Netherlands international is now weighing up his options.
– Chicago Fire, Benfica, and Juventus are looking at signing Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva in the summer, says the Daily Mail. Silva, 31, is out of contract at the end of the season and is reportedly keen to leave for a new challenge. The Portugal international has been a key player for Pep Guardiola over the past decade, and there has also been interest from the Saudi Pro League.
– Real Madrid are weighing up a move to bring back Como defender Jacobo Ramón, according to AS. It is reported that Los Blancos now see the 21-year-old as a potential long-term starter for the club after they let him leave in 2025, but luckily they included a clause which allows them to sign him back for €8 million. The report adds that the LaLiga side haven’t made contact with the respective representatives of defenders Antonio Rüdiger, 32, andDavid Alaba, 33, regarding potential contract extensions, which could see Ramon brought in as one of the reinforcements to replace them.
– Barcelona and on-loan Manchester United winger Marcus Rashford have reached an agreement in principle on personal terms, says Nicolo Schira. The 28-year-old has reportedly agreed a four-year contract until 2030, with the Blaugrana pushing to sign him on a permanent deal. Fresh talks are expected to take place, but sources told ESPN last week that United have no plans to accept anything less than the permanent option clause fee, which is worth between €30 million and €35 million.
– Chelsea have made an approach to sign Independiente del Valle and Ecuador international midfielder Patrik Mercado, according to TEAMtalk. The Blues are reportedly among several Premier League clubs keen on the 22-year-old, with Brighton, Bournemouth and Fulham also interested in securing his signature. Any move to Stamford Bridge for Mercado would be expected to include a spell at Strasbourg on loan to allow him to develop, while also making the future switch to West London more feasible due to their ownership under BlueCo.
EXPERT TAKE
ESPN’s Sam Tighe on the future for Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven.
No one could blame Van de Ven for wanting to leave Spurs this summer. Despite impressing greatly since joining in 2023, the club have only moved backwards.
With the ball at his feet, he’s a rare breed of game-breaking central defender. He can carry the ball through the opposition lines and over long distances, picking up serious speed in the process — only three Premier League center backs have clocked a max speed faster than his 34.12 km/h this season, per Gradient Sports. He’s delivered remarkable goals and remarkable assists at the end of these long runs.
That speed also helps him immensely in defense, enabling him to stop strikers from working space in behind. The only weakness in his game is perhaps a lack of progressive passing: He’s inconsistent (at best) in feeding the ball forward and into dangerous areas.
It wouldn’t surprise if Liverpool were weighing him up as a long-term replacement for Virgil van Dijk, while Real Madrid’s center back situation is so unhealthy they need answers fast. But Man United? For the first time in a while, they seem quite set there; Lisandro Martinez is fit again, Matthijs de Ligt was having an excellent season until injury paused it, Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven are high-potential players, and Harry Maguire seems to be working his way towards a fresh deal with the club.
So perhaps they don’t need to spend more on another defender.
OTHER RUMORS
play
2:30
Laurens: Glasner is tarnishing his Crystal Palace legacy
Gab & Juls discuss Oliver Glasner’s future at Crystal Palace.
– Juventus and USMNT midfielder Weston McKennie are “one step away” from sealing an agreement for a new contract extension. (Nicolo Schira)
– Manchester United midfielder Casemiro is open to a switch to MLS. (Telegraph)
– Manchester United and defender Harry Maguire remain in talks regarding a new contract, with ‘positive signs’ that a deal could be reached. (BBC)
– Liverpool left-back Andy Robertson remains on the radar of Atletico Madrid. He has also attracted attention from Crystal Palace, Aston Villa, and Wolverhampton Wanderers. (Caught Offside)
– Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea remain interested in Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-Jae (Football Insider)
– Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior wants to keep hold of striker Liam Delap amid interest from Everton. (Football Insider)
– Boca Juniors are interested in Roma forward Paulo Dybala when his contract at the Stadio Olimpico expires. (Matteo Moretto)
– Marseille are unlikely to activate the permanent option clause to sign on-loan defender Benjamin Pavard from Internazionale in the summer. (Gazzetta dello Sport)
– Galatasaray are considering a move for Juventus midfielder Teun Koopmeiners. (Gazzetta dello Sport)
– Juventus are weighing up an approach to sign Atalanta goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi. (Corriere dello Sport)
– Internazionale are monitoring the situation of Udinese defender Oumar Solet, and recently sent scouts to watch him. (Nicolo Schira)
– Athletic Club could make another attempt to sign Girona midfielder Ivan Martin in the summer. (Marca)
The much-anticipated Pakistan vs England Super Eights clash at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 is expected to go ahead without interruption, with weather conditions looking favourable in Kandy on Tuesday.
According to the latest forecasts, there is no rain predicted around match time at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, easing fears of another washout in the Super Eights stage. The match is scheduled to begin at 7:00pm local time, with temperatures expected to hover around 27°C and a ‘real feel’ of 28°C.
Skies are forecast to remain largely clear, with cloud cover limited to around 14% and visibility extending up to 16 kilometres. Light north-westerly winds of 6km/h, with occasional gusts reaching 13km/h, are expected to offer minimal relief in what will be humid playing conditions.
Humidity levels are projected at 68%, with a dew point of 20°C, suggesting a sticky evening for players and spectators alike. While conditions appear ideal for cricket, weather officials have cautioned that poor air quality may affect residents, particularly those with respiratory issues.
The positive outlook will come as welcome news for fans after Pakistan’s previous Super Eights fixture against New Zealand was abandoned due to persistent rain at the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium on Saturday.
That match was called off after more than two-and-a-half hours of continuous rainfall, shortly after Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha won the toss and elected to bat, resulting in both sides sharing a point.
Tuesday’s contest against England is crucial in Group 2 of the Super Eights, where the top two teams will progress to the semi-finals scheduled for March 4 and 5.
Under the tournament’s ‘Fusion Formula’, Pakistan are playing all their T20 World Cup 2026 matches in Sri Lanka. As a result, should Pakistan qualify, the first semi-final will be staged at the R Premadasa Stadium. If they fail to progress, that fixture will instead be hosted at Eden Gardens.
The venue for the final on March 8 will also depend on Pakistan’s progress in the tournament, adding further significance to Tuesday’s clash.
With clear skies forecast and high stakes on the line, Pakistan and England look set for an uninterrupted Super Eights encounter in Kandy.
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