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On Thursday, June 6, Pakistan will face co-hosts United States of America (USA) in their first Group A match of the T20 World Cup 2024 at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas.
Pakistan’s form and preparation
Pakistan enter the T20 World Cup after a challenging series against England, where they lost 2-0 in a 4-match T20I series last month. Their preparation for the tournament was further hampered by wet weather conditions in England. Additionally, Pakistan faced a surprise defeat against Ireland in the first match of a 3-match series last month but managed to bounce back and win the series 2-1. Babar Azam‘s men will be looking to regain form and start their World Cup campaign on a high note.
USA’s confidence and aspirations
The USA team, on the other hand, is brimming with confidence after opening their campaign with a sensational win against Canada, thanks to vice-captain Aaron Jones‘ spectacular unbeaten 94. As co-hosts, the USA will be keen to leverage their home advantage and make a mark in the tournament.
Also READ: T20 World Cup 2024: Babar Azam slams critics ahead of Pakistan’s opening game against USA
USA vs PAK: Probable Playing XI:
USA: Steven Taylor, Monank Patel (c, wk), Andries Gous, Aaron Jones, Nitish Kumar, Corey Anderson, Harmeet Singh, Shadley van Schalkwyk, Jasdeep Singh, Ali Khan, Saurabh Netravalkar.
Pakistan: Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Babar Azam (c), Usman Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Azam Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf/Mohammad Amir, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed
USA skipper’s optimism
Ahead of the crucial fixture against Pakistan, USA skipper Monank Patel expressed his belief in his team’s ability to cause an early upset in the tournament. Patel highlighted the team’s positive mindset and readiness to challenge Pakistan, aiming to create a significant impact by defeating the former T20 World Cup champions.
“The first game definitely helped us. We got good momentum. We will make sure that we carry forward that momentum in the next game. Pakistan is a good side, is a well-experienced side and we will make sure that we play the cricket we have been playing. Pakistan has good experienced bowlers. We will focus on Mohammad Amir, who is an experienced Pakistani bowler, we will try to tackle him well,” Patel said in a pre-match press conference.
“I mean, we won’t focus much on the Pakistan side. We want to focus on our own cricket. And we want to make sure that we continue playing the way we’ve been playing. And you know, it’s T20. Once we have good 30-40 minutes on the field, you never know. We can take the game away,” Patel concluded.
Dallas Weather Forecast
Dallas anticipates 20% chances of rain during the match. Even though it will be cloudy, temperatures will be a around 36 degrees Celsius. Humidity levels are expected to rise to 50%, creating a sticky atmosphere. Winds may reach speeds of up to 23 km/h.
