The penultimate match of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 will see England take on Pakistan at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Saturday.
While England are already out of semi-final contention, Pakistan still harbour slim mathematical hopes if they can conjure up an implausibly emphatic win here. Realistically though, both teams’ World Cup campaigns will end after this game.
England have endured a nightmare tournament, winning just two of their eight matches so far. Their vaunted batting lineup has collapsed repeatedly while the bowling has lacked penetration. Skipper Jos Buttler has managed just 111 runs summing up their struggles.
Pakistan’s World Cup story has been one of frustration. After losses to India and Australia early on, their campaign never gained momentum barring the occasional brilliance of Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi.
This fixture represents a chance for both sides to exit the World Cup on a high note. Pakistan would love to maintain their World Cup edge against England. While the English will want to give their stalwarts like Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali a fitting farewell from ODI cricket.
Hopefully the iconic Eden Gardens witnesses an entertaining dead rubber contest between two passionate cricketing rivals.
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England Overview
It’s been a calamitous title defense for England who have looked a shadow of the world-beating side that won the 2019 World Cup on home soil. Their batting has been particularly woeful, collapsing repeatedly to modest totals.
Skipper Jos Buttler has managed just 100 plus total runs in eight innings, symbolic of England’s struggles. Apart from a century of Dawid Malan against Bangladesh, the likes of Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Harry Brook and Jos Buttler have had no impact.
Only Dawid Malan has shown some consistency amassing over 373 runs. The bowling has been similarly lackluster. Adil Rashid is the solitary bowler with 13 wickets, but he too has been expensive.
Fielding has been well below England’s high standards with numerous spilled catches. With nothing but pride left to play for, England’s objective will be to avoid the embarrassment of a last-place finish.
Coach Matthew Mott and skipper Jos Buttler have plenty of introspection ahead on what went wrong with England’s ODI setup since their 2019 glory. For now, they will hope veterans like Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid can sign off on a high.
Pakistan Overview
Like England, Pakistan’s World Cup campaign has fallen well short of expectations. The thrilling loss to South Africa set the tone before convincing wins over New Zealand and Bangladesh gave false hope.
But the inability to close out matches has haunted Pakistan. Except for Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, the batting has lacked substance. The bowling, Pakistan’s traditional strength, has been far too inconsistent.
Hasan Ali has been most disappointing, managing just 9 wickets in six games before injury ruled him out. Haris Rauf has leaked runs while Shadab Khan lacked sharpness before his tournament-ending injury.
The lone bright spot has been pacer Shaheen Afridi who has bowled with unrelenting discipline. After showing glimpses of promise, Pakistan has flattered to deceive again on the World stage.
While it’s mathematically impossible now, Pakistan will still want to end their World Cup on a high note. This represents a final chance for the likes of Babar Azam and Haris Rauf to leave a mark on the World Cup.
England vs. Pakistan Starting XI
- England predicted starting 11:
Jonny Bairstow - Dawid Malan
- Joe Root
- Ben Stokes
- Harry Brook
- Jos Buttler (c & wk)
- Moeen Ali
- Chris Woakes
- David Willey
- Gus Atkinson
- Adil Rashid
Pakistan predicted starting 11:
- Abdullah Shafique
- Fakhar Zaman
- Babar Azam (c)
- Mohammad Rizwan (wk)
- Saud Shakeel
- Iftikhar Ahmed
- Agha Salman
- Hasan Ali
- Shaheen Afridi
- Mohammad Wasim Jr
- Haris Rauf
With nothing at stake, England could rest Jonny Bairstow, Adil Rashid and give chances to youngsters like Harry Brook and Liam Livingstone. Pakistan may call up experienced campaigners Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Hafeez in place of Haider Ali and Iftikhar Ahmed. Naseem Shah could replace the struggling Hasan Ali.
The key battles will be between Pakistan’s new ball pair of Afridi and Rauf against England’s top order. Leg-spinners Adil Rashid and Shadab Khan could also play pivotal roles. This could be the last World Cup appearance for veterans like Hafeez, Malik and Moeen. Both teams will likely field fresh combinations with an eye on the future.
See the confirmed starting lineups below an hour before the match starts.
England vs. Pakistan Head-to-Head
England and Pakistan are two of the most iconic cricket rivals, having faced each other 91 times previously in ODIs. England enjoy a narrow 56-32 edge in victories over Pakistan historically.
They have also met 10 times at the World Cup over the years. Pakistan hold a 5-4 advantage in these marquee encounters, including a 22-run win in the 1992 World Cup final.
Pakistan actually dominated England for much of the 1990s. But the tide has turned in recent years with England winning four of the last five bilateral ODI series contested since 2015.
At the 2017 ICC champions trophy final match Pakistan crushed England by 180 runs on way to their title triumph. Pakistan’s last ODI win over England came on that day.
However, England have generally overwhelmed Pakistan in matches played on home soill. They beat Pakistan 4-3 in a T20 series played in England in September 2022.
Considering England’s recent struggles in ODI cricket and unfamiliarity with Asian conditions, Pakistan would fancy their chances of securing another World Cup win over the old rivals.
But England usually raise their game against Pakistan, ensuring another tight battle likely awaits at Eden Gardens.
Weather & Pitch Report
The iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata will provide the backdrop for this England vs Pakistan World Cup clash. The weather forecast looks excellent for play on matchday.
We can expect a sunny afternoon in Kolkata with temperatures likely around the 28-30 degrees Celcius mark. The humidity won’t be very high and will steadily dip as the evening progresses.
Importantly no rain is predicted meaning we should have an uninterrupted game. Overall the weather conditions will be ideal for batting and fans can expect a 40-45 overs each side match.
The pitch at Eden Gardens is expected to be a decent one for batting. The true bounce and even pace allows strokeplay once batsmen get set. Spinners get decent purchase as the game progresses.
In three World Cup matches at the venue so far, the average first innings score is 270. Sides batting first have won two of the three games.
Considering England and Pakistan’s power-packed batting lineups, another 270-280 runs total batting first could be par here. The key will be to not lose wickets early against the swinging ball.
With dew likely in the evening, the side fielding second may struggle to grip the ball. Both captains should prefer chasing if they win the toss.
An entertaining high-scoring match appears on the cards on this batting beauty of a pitch. Here’s hoping the weather stays good.
England vs. Pakistan Prediction
This is an extremely tough game to predict given both teams’ inconsistent form at the tournament. On paper, England seem to have the edge in talent and experience.
But their prolonged ODI struggles and failure to adapt to Asian conditions puts them on par with mercurial Pakistan. Pakistan have historically had the wood over England in World Cup clashes too.
However, England usually lift themselves against Pakistan. Batting meltdowns have marred their World Cup but the likes of Stokes, Butler and Moeen have class. Adil Rashid also generally dominates Pakistan’s batters.
Pakistan’s hopes lie with captain Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan finding form plus the bowling peaking again. Mohammad Wasim Jr’s accuracy could be crucial.
Considering the match is being played at Asia’s answer to the Gabbatoir with a flat pitch, chasing appears advantageous. Dew may hamper England’s spinners in the final overs.
This promises to be an engrossing high-scoring affair between two talented rivals. With so much pride at stake, both teams will come hard at each other.
Slight edge to Pakistan based on England’s fragility and the conditions. But don’t be shocked if England sign off their World Cup by stunning Pakistan in a thriller.
England vs. Pakistan Betting Tips
With batting friendly conditions expected, consider betting on over 280+ match runs. A safer option is 270+ runs. Mohammad Rizwan and Dawid Malan are top batting picks considering their styles. Babar Azam and Ben Stokes have risk but high reward potential.
For top bowler picks, Adil Rashid and Shadab Khan are prime contenders with their spin.
Betting on Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan to score 50+ runs has appeal with the true pitch. Given Pakistan’s historical edge over England, consider backing them as underdogs at good odds.
With dew expected, betting on the chasing team irrespective of who bats first is recommended. Based on the percentages, 270-280 seems a competitive first innings total to bet on. For a bold punt, back either team for a 350+ or even 400+ total batting first on this batting beauty.
With so many entertaining batting matchups on offer, milestones markets and team totals should offer good betting value.
Bet on both teams to score over 274.5 runs at 1xBet at odds 2.20>>
If you want to check out our other Cricket World Cup match predictions, you can find them on our site. In the meantime, you can check out how to bet on the Cricket World Cup.
