Pakistan's expected playing XI for first T20I against England

Pakistan is set to take on England in the first of the four-match T20I series on May 22, with a strong squad that includes experienced players like Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, and Mohammad Amir.

The series is seen as a litmus test for both teams ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024, and Pakistan is coming into the series with a 2-1 win against Ireland and a 2-2 draw against New Zealand.

The team has a number of options in their squad, with batters like Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, and Iftikhar Ahmed capable of dismantling the opposition on their best days. Shaheen Afridi's recent form has also been a significant boost for Pakistan.

England, on the other hand, has a strong squad with prominent stars like Phil Salt, Will Jacks, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, and Moeen Ali returning from the IPL 2024. The team also has an abundance of options, with pacer Jofra Archer returning after a gap of 14 months.

The predicted XI for Pakistan includes Saim Ayub, Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam (c), Fakhar Zaman, Shadab Khan, Azam Khan (wk), Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Mohammad Amir.

England's predicted XI includes Jos Buttler (c), Phil Salt (wk), Will Jacks, Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Adil Rashid, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, and Reece Topley.