Pak vs Eng 1st T20 - Pakistan Seek Response Against England

Dubai: Pakistan will aim to restore belief in their embattled team when they take on England in a two-match Twenty20 series at the Dubai Sports City cricket stadium starting on Friday.

The ICC World Twenty20 champions haven't had the best of times on the cricket field after their stunning triumph at Lord's in June last year.

And the team is in disarray after their disastrous recent trip to Australia, where they lost all their matches, including three Test matches and five One-Day Internationals.

But with again eye on the 2010 World T20 Cup, to be played in the Caribbean in April, the Pakistan team under stand-in skipper Shoaib Malik will hope for a clean sweep against Paul Collingwood-led England.

Malik, who has been involved in a very public spat with Mohammed Yousuf since the Australia tour, took over the reins from regular T20 captain Shahid Afridi, who is serving a two-match suspension after being found guilty of ball-tampering in the fifth and final ODI against Australia.

Afridi, who missed the only T20 match against Australia, is eligible to play the second match against England on Saturday, but he is not in the team and Malik will continue to lead.

Pakistan will be missing their pace bowler Mohammed Asif, who is banned from entering the UAE after he was caught last year at Dubai airport with banned drugs.

Collingwood, meanwhile, insists that his side will not take their opponents lightly despite their recent misfortunes.

"Pakistan are a very strong Twenty20 side and we're going to have to be right on our game to beat them. It might be a good time to play them, but you never quite know what you're going to get on the day," said Collingwood.

The captain also ruled out an immediate promotion to the England national side for South Africa-born Craig Kieswetter, who impressed in the England A team's shock defeat of the seniors in a practice match on Wednesday.

Kieswetter scored 81, on the first day he became eligible for the national side after a four-year qualification period.

Team news

Pakistan: The dropping of Kamran Akmal and Intikhab Alam's absence on this tour, Shahid Afridi is serving a two-match ban. With Mohammad Asif still banned from entering the UAE, one of either Yasir Arafat, Wahab Riaz or Mohammad Talha could play.

Squad (likely): Shoaib Malik (capt), Imran Nazir, Imran Farhat, Umar Akmal, Khalid Latif, Fawad Alam, Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), Abdul Razzaq, Yasir Arafat, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal.

England: Having watched Joe Denly falter again against the Lions, England would have been tempted to test Craig Kieswetter at the top of the order. James Anderson resting his knee in Lancashire England's pace bowling will be led by Stuart Broad and Ryan Sidebottom but Graeme Swann will remain their linchpin.

Squad (likely): Jonathan Trott, Joe Denly/Craig Kieswetter, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Eoin Morgan, Luke Wright, Matt Prior (wk), Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, Ryan Sidebottom.

Pitch and conditions
With both of these games day-night fixtures the players will at least avoid competing in the desert city at its hottest. Nevertheless we can expect shirt-soaking temperatures and a dry surface unlikely to offer much interest to the fast bowlers.

Stats and trivia

• Paul Collingwood has a perfectly inconsistent record as Twenty20 captain, winning eight and losing eight from 16 completed matches in charge.
• Pakistan have an unblemished record in Twenty20s at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, having beaten Australia and New Zealand at the venue last year. Afridi, who will miss the first game against England, was Player of the Series against new Zealand.
• England and Pakistan have only played each other twice in Twenty20s, with both games played in England. Pakistan overcame England at Bristol in 2006, but England pulled one back in the midst of Pakistan's successful run at the World Twenty20 last year, racking up an impressive 185 for 5 at The Oval to progress to the Super Eights.

Match facts
Friday February 19, 2010
Start time 18:00 local (14:00 GMT)