Mat Davies takes a look ahead at the big cricket event in Cardiff this month: England v Pakistan.
International cricket returns to the Swalec ten years to the week since England played their first One Day International in Cardiff. Fittingly, Pakistan are again the opposition in the fifth, final and, with luck, deciding match in the current 50-over series. The Super Series may still be alive too; this new concept for the summer’s two international series, amalgamating the results of Test, ODI and T20 matches to determine an overall winning team, has yet to find its feet in the cricketing consciousness. England’s one-sided victories in all formats over Sri Lanka earlier in the summer made it redundant, but with the Test series currently in the balance in the final match at the Oval, it has a better chance of elbowing its way in to the headlines in Cardiff, with just a single T20 match between the two sides to follow, and, potentially everything still to play for.
In 2006 the Swalec stadium was still underdeveloped, and a raucous crowd packed the temporary stands to roar Shoaib Akhtar, the Rawalpindi Express, into the crease off his long run and rattle the England top order with his searing pace. In tandem with Mohammed Asif , he filleted the England batting line-up for an under-par 202 all out, and Pakistan looked likely to be comfortable winners before persistent drizzle blew in and washed out the their reply. Overall, three of England’s nine ODIs played in Cardiff to date have ended as no results due to the weather (two other matches with barely a ball bowled), so scheduling this game for early September may have been optimistic, but with help from the weather the two sides should produce a thrilling game.
The atmosphere is once again likely to be charged with plenty of support from Pakistani fans. Indeed, with the Pakistan team currently playing their home series in exile in the United Arab Emirates due to domestic security fears, it may be England who feel like the visitors. Pakistan look as though they’ll need all the help they can get. Their recent ODI record is poor, and they haven’t played a game since January. Since last October, they’ve only played 6 ODIs and lost 5 of them, including 3 to England in the UAE in November. The current squad includes six changes from their last series in New Zealand in January, and will face England with only two warm-up matches behind them, against Ireland, to try to work on a winning combination. Mohammed Hafeez is the only player in either squad to have survived from 2006, but is currently not allowed to bowl due to a suspect action.
England on the other hand will hope to hit the deck running. Eoin Morgan’s team have dramatically rebuilt since a dismal World Cup in 2015, embracing an aggressive high-tempo style of cricket. Sri Lanka were dispatched 3-0 earlier this summer, with imperiously destructive batting from Alex Hales and Jason Roy among others, backed up by skilful bowling from pacemen Chris Woakes, Liam Plunkett and David Willey, while leg spinner Adil Rashid finally seems to have found his niche in England’s international plans after numerous tours carrying the drinks.
England also have an immaculate record in Cardiff, having won all the ODIs and T20s to be completed to date, and remaining unbeaten in three Tests. Indeed, two of those games were truly memorable. Jimmy Anderson and Monty Panesar’s implausible rearguard action to fight for a draw against Australia in 2009 has entered cricketing folklore, and in 2011 England’s bowlers dismantled the Sri Lankan batting line up to snatch an improbable victory on the final evening. While ODI cricket is a much more transient pleasure, the Swalec’s short straight boundaries will surely temp the batsmen to try and stick the ball in the Taff, and a high-scoring match may be on the cards if the weather holds out. The bowlers of both sides on the other hand may be praying for rain.
England v Pakistan, SSE Swalec Stadium, Cardiff. Tickets: £10-£65. Info: 029 2041 9311 / www.glamorgancricket.com