PALLEKELE: Pakistan on Monday warned England’s inconsistent batting line-up to expect a trial by spin when the teams clash in the T20 World Cup Super Eights.

Pakistan batsman Sahibzada Farhan told reporters that England struggled to 146-9 against Sri Lanka’s spinners on Sunday.

Sahibzada said that England can expect more of the same from Pakistan’s spinners when they meet on the same Pallekele ground in Kandy on Tuesday night.

Pakistan desperately need a win after their first match against New Zealand was washed out.

A defeat would put England, who skittled Sri Lanka for 95 to win by 51 runs, through to the semi-finals with a game to spare.

Pakistan would then need to beat Sri Lanka in their final Super Eights match and hope other results go their way to reach the last four.

“What we saw in the Sri Lanka-England game was that the ball was gripping and England struggled against spin,” said the in-form opener Sahibzada on Monday. “Sri Lanka have one or two spinners but we have five in all so we will give England a tough time on a pitch that looks good and will grip.”

Pakistan’s spinners have taken 26 wickets in the four matches so far. Their seamers have dismissed only seven batsmen.

History will be against Pakistan as they have never beaten England in three previous Twenty20 World Cup clashes.

“We are confident and our morale is high,” said Sahibzada, who scored an unbeaten 100 against Namibia in Pakistan’s final group match.

“We are focused on this match to win and progress.”

Sahibzada, who tops the T20 World Cup run-scoring chart with 220, said he was ready for the threat of England’s express pace bowler Jofra Archer.

“Facing Archer will not be difficult because I have faced similar bowlers in Pakistan,” said Sahibzada. “So if he has plans against me, I also have plans against him.”

Pakistan are likely to bring in spinner Abrar Ahmed in place of seaming all-rounder Faheem Ashraf.

England may name an unchanged side for the fifth match in succession with Liam Dawson, Will Jacks, Adil Rashid and Jacob Bethell providing their spin options.

All-rounder Liam Dawson said England won’t mind one bit if another “ugly” win secures Harry Brook’s side a semi-final berth.

“We know that we can play a lot better,” Dawson told reporters after the win over Sri Lanka, in comments only made public on Monday.

“But at the end of the day in tournament cricket, you just need to get the win, however ugly.”

England’s bowlers came to the rescue for the third time in the tournament, after also defending below-par totals against Nepal and Italy.

“The fight we’ve shown with the ball shows that this team is in a very good place,” said Dawson.

Pakistan possess a dangerous spin attack, featuring a unique weapon in Usman Tariq and his pronounced pause before he releases the ball.

But Dawson said England would fight fire with fire with their own potent slow-bowling arsenal.

England captain Brook also has the hit-the-deck-hard Jamie Overton and left-arm swing bowler Sam Curran as the seam options.

England’s flexibility enabled Will Jacks to open the bowling with his off-spin on Sunday and destroy Sri Lanka’s top order.

He returned figures of 3-22 in tandem with Archer, who removed both opening batsmen, to leave Sri Lanka in tatters at 34-5 at the end of the six-over power play.

England’s variety offers Brook endless options, said Dawson who bowls left-arm spin, as does Jacob Bethell.

“We’re all very different types of spinners. Jacksy gets very good over-spin, very good bounce.

“Dilly (wrist spinner Adil Rashid) has all these variations and me, I’m probably more of a defensive spinner and that’s my role. I’m just trying to be consistent for the captain.

“Adil can use all of his tricks and he comes on to get wickets and get us back in games or put us ahead in games.

“Obviously, Jacks, he’s been brilliant. He’s exploited conditions here very well.

“And I think the way Brookie captained today was phenomenal, how he used us all differently.”

But Dawson cautioned that the wicket on Tuesday night could play very differently to the tacky slow track they encountered on Sunday, which had sweated under covers after days of rain in Kandy.

“Obviously, a different challenge on Tuesday at a night game. It could be a better wicket. We’ll have to wait and see what happens.”

Published in Dawn, February 24th, 2026