This article will talk about the probable XIs for both teams and continue with the Dream11 predictions and the winning fantasy team for the First ODI between England and Pakistan that is scheduled to take place on the 8th July 2021.
After winning both the limited-overs series against Sri Lanka, England is all set to kick-start another three-match ODI series against Pakistan. They won two ODI matches and the last match was abandoned due to rain. Sam Curran and David Willey were top performers with the ball and Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow did well with the bat.
On the other hand, Pakistani players are coming after completion of the second leg of PSL 2021 and all set to begin their International calendar with this ODI series against England. Pakistan played their last ODI series against South Africa where they won by 2-1. Both the teams will look to win this ODI match and put one step ahead in this three-match ODI series.
Match Details
Venue: Sophia Gardens, Cardiff
Pitch: The pitch of Cardiff will favor batsmen as it will be a high-scoring match between the two teams. However, pacers will get early assistance from the surface during the powerplay overs but batsmen will dominate the game as the average first inning score is near 243 runs. The temperature of Cardiff will be around 20°C.
Date and Time: July 8, 2021, 5.30 PM IST, 1.30 PM Local
Probable Playing XIs
The England Cricket Board confirmed that there are seven Covid-19 Positive cases in the dressing room including three players. ECB has put the whole ODI squad into isolation and announced a completely new squad for this three-match ODI series against Pakistan. Ben Stokes will lead this ODI side where Zak Crawley and Dawid Malan are likely to open. James Vince will play in the middle order along with Dan Lawrence. Matthew Parkinson will play a spinner along and Jake Ball will lead the pace attack.
Pakistan played their last ODI against South Africa in April so they have to think about their first XI in this match. Imam-ul-Haq and Fakhar Zaman will be the openers with Babar Azam playing at three. Rizwan is likely to play in the middle order along with spin all-rounder Shadab Khan. Harish Sohail also made his comeback into the ODI squad. In the bowling department, Harish Rauf, Shaheen Afridi, and Hasan Ali are likely to start as pacers.
England: Zak Crawley, Dawid Malan, James Vince, Daniel Lawrence, Ben Stokes(c), John Simpson(wk), Lewis Gregory, Craig Overton, Jake Ball, Matthew Parkinson, Danny Briggs.
Pakistan: Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam(c), Mohammad Rizwan(wk), Haris Sohail, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf.
Match Prediction
It will be a very competitive match as both the teams are having fire-powers in their batting lineups. The performance of the bowling unit will decide the result of this match however, England will have an edge due to their current form and home condition in this first ODI against Pakistan.
Fantasy Tips
Batsmen: Dawid Malan and James Vince are in good form so they will be important picks from the batting section. Babar Azam is the number one ODI ranked player and Fakhar Zaman had a good series against South Africa.
All-Rounders: Ben Stokes and Lewis Gregory will be the main all-rounder pick from England. Shadab Khan will be an important pick from Pakistan.
Wicket-Keeper: Mohammad Rizwan will be the must-pick option from the wicket-keeping section.
Bowlers: In the absence of some main bowlers, Jake Ball will be the main bowler from England in this match. Harish Rauf and Hasan Ali will be the main bowlers from the Pakistan team.
Captaincy Choices
Fantasy Team: Mohammad Rizwan, James Vince, Dawid Malan, Babar Azam(vc), Fakhar Zaman, Ben Stokes(c), Lewis Gregory, Shadab Khan, Jake Ball, Hasan Ali, Harish Rauf
Captain – Ben Stokes
Ben Stokes is the main all-rounder in this team. He will give points both with bat and ball, so he will be the best option for captain in this match.
Vice-Captain – Babar Azam
Babar Azam is the number one ODI batsman in the world and he was also the highest run-scorer in the PSL 2021 so he will be the best pick for the vice-captain.
Dream11 Team
