Babar, Rizwan resume opening partnership as Pakistan seek to square series in final match
Jofra Archer and Jos Buttler chat ahead of the fourth T20I • Getty Images
Toss England won the toss and chose to field first against Pakistan
England will bowl first after winning the toss at the Kia Oval. Under overcast skies with further rain probable, the returning England captain Jos Buttler confirmed the weather played a part in the decision to chase.
England make one change to the side that beat Pakistan at Edgbaston on Saturday, prior to the third-game wash-out in Cardiff, with Mark Wood replacing Reece Topley in the side. With Jofra Archer retained for the second match of his comeback, it means Sam Curran – who was Player of the Tournament during England’s title-winning campaign at the last T20 World Cup – has not played a single game all series, effectively confirming his slide out of England’s first-choice starting line-up.
The visiting skipper Babar Azam confirmed he, too, would have opted to field first given the overhead conditions. Pakistan, who need to win today to deny England a series win, have made a pair of changes. The out-of-form Saim Ayub has been replaced at the top of the order by Usman Khan, who gets his first game of the series.
Notably, this means Babar and Mohammad Rizwan are set to open the batting once more, with Pakistan’s attempt to break up the pairing having, for the moment, failed. Imad Wasim misses out after he experienced discomfort in his ribcage, and has been sent for preliminary scans. Fast bowler Naseem Shah replaces him.
England: 1 Phil Salt, 2 Jos Buttler (capt/wk), 3 Will Jacks, 4 Jonny Bairstow, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Moeen Ali, 7 Liam Livingstone, 8 Chris Jordan, 9 Jofra Archer, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Mark Wood
Pakistan: 1 Mohammad Rizwan, 2 Babar Azam (capt), 3 Usman Khan, 4 Fakhar Zaman, 5 Shadab Khan, 6 Azam Khan (wk), 7 Iftikhar Ahmed, 8 Shaheen Afridi, 9 Haris Rauf, 10 Mohammad Amir, 11 Naseem Shah
Danyal Rasool is ESPNcricinfo’s Pakistan correspondent. @Danny61000
