England won by 23 runs against Pakistan in the second T20I series at Edgbaston Stadium in Birmingham on Saturday.
Chasing a target of 184, Pakistan was bowled out for 160 runs. This match marked England’s eighth victory in their last 11 T20I encounters with Pakistan.
Fakhar Zaman was a standout performer for Pakistan, scoring 45 runs off 21 balls, including three fours and five sixes. Captain Babar Azam contributed 32 runs from 26 balls, making him the second-highest scorer for the team.
Further down the order, Iftikhar Ahmed added 23 runs off 17 balls, and Imad Wasim scored 22 off 13, but their efforts were insufficient to secure a win.
England’s bowling attack was spearheaded by Reece Topley, who claimed three wickets. Moeen Ali and Jofra Archer each took two wickets, while Chris Jordan, Adil Rashid, and Liam Livingstone each took one.
Jos Buttler led England’s batting with an impressive 84 runs off 51 balls, hitting eight fours and three sixes. This performance helped him surpass 3,000 runs in T20I cricket, making him the ninth player to achieve this milestone.
Pakistan started strong as Imad Wasim dismissed Phil Salt early in the innings. However, England recovered well, thanks to a 71-run partnership between Buttler and Will Jacks, which shifted the momentum back to the home team.
Though Pakistan’s bowlers, particularly Haris Rauf, Imad, and Shaheen, mounted a strong comeback, it wasn’t enough to prevent England from reaching a solid total of 183/7.
Jacks contributed 37 runs from 23 balls, and Jonny Bairstow added 21. However, Harry Brook, Moeen Ali, and Liam Livingstone fell short of reaching double figures.
Archer’s crucial 12 runs in the final over bolstered England’s score.
Shaheen took three wickets for Pakistan, while Imad and Rauf took two. However, Shadab Khan and Mohammad Amir did not secure any wickets.