Off-spinners Tariq and Ayub are Pakistan’s highest wicket-takers within the ongoing T20 World Cup.
Despite a comfortable 51-run victory over Sri Lanka, England might look to tweak their team for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 match against Pakistan. The Three Lions will continue playing at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, but unlike Sri Lanka, Pakistan has a better quality and variety of spinners.
England had struggled during the middle phases, 7 to 15 overs, against Sri Lanka. They lost 4 wickets in 8 overs, scoring 69 runs. Had the hosts performed better with the bat, England wouldn’t have won. They have to fix this issue.
Now, one of the reasons why that’s happening is that two of their most talented batters, Jacob Bethell and Harry Brook, aren’t doing well against spin. And playing in Pallekele, they’ll have to face a lot of spin.
Jacob Bethell & Harry Brook against spin in T20 World Cup 2026
| Batter | Runs | Balls | Dismissals | Average | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacob Bethell | 82 | 56 | 5 | 16.40 | 146.40 |
| Harry Brook | 93 | 61 | 4 | 23.25 | 152.45 |
Bethell and Brook aren’t slowing down against the spinners, but what they’re failing to do is remain in the middle while attacking them. All of Bethell’s dismissals in the T20 World Cup have been against spin. Meanwhile, Brook has fallen to fast bowlers just once in the tournament.
It’s a major concern, especially since Jos Buttler can’t buy a run at the moment. Now, England can’t drop Brook, who is their captain. But will they bring Ben Duckett, who’s one of England’s best batters of spin?
Since 2025, he strikes at 150.46 against spinners in T20s; that number increases to 166.66 in T20Is. While his average isn’t exceptional, 32.2 in T20s and 26.25 in T20Is, it’s better than what Bethell is offering at the moment.
One can’t forget that Pakistan’s two best bowlers are off-spinners: Usman Tariq and Saim Ayub. They’ll have a positive matchup against Bethell and Duckett. But one of them has a proven record against spin bowling.
Most wickets for Pakistan in T20 World Cup 2026
| Bowler | Type | Innings | Wickets | Average | Economy | Strike Rate | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Usman Tariq | Off Spinner | 3 | 8 | 8.37 | 5.82 | 8.62 | 4/16 |
| Saim Ayub | Off Spinner | 4 | 5 | 10.60 | 6.62 | 9.60 | 3/25 |
| Shadab Khan | Leg Spinner | 4 | 5 | 17.60 | 6.76 | 15.60 | 3/19 |
Apart from Tariq and Ayub, Pakistan also has Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Abrar Ahmed, and Salman Ali Agha. That’s a whole lot of options. Getting Duckett into the team could be what they need. Of course, England might not change anything considering they are winning with the current combination, and Bethell can bowl as well.
Predicted England Playing XI vs Pakistan
Jos Buttler (wk), Phil Salt, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook (c), Tom Banton, Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid
Bench: Rehan Ahmed, Ben Duckett, Josh Tongue, Luke Wood
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