Broad view
Pakistan and England have been tied in this series every time there have been an equal number of games played. Neither team has been able to gain the upper hand after six enthralling and incredibly exciting games, and you feel the decisive game would occur no matter how many games were played in this series.
That is remarkable in a way because, despite how hard it may be to distinguish between them, these are two very different T20 sides, and much of that has been clear over the previous two weeks. England has the greater ceiling, which was best demonstrated in the sixth T20I when the whole visiting batting order completely destroyed Pakistan in just 15 overs.
On the other side, Pakistan's higher floor has allowed them to eke out par totals even when the majority of their batters had bad days. That was seen in the fourth and fifth games, when the hosts reached a winnable total and held off an England team that lacked consistency at the top.
If the types of each team's victories were to be compared, it could seem a little unfair that the series is tied
for England. England's victories have a tendency to be routs, and those matches perfectly capture the gap in the two teams' raw T20 batting abilities. Pakistan, on the other hand, has discovered methods to win by utilizing intangibles, like as pressure and momentum during crucial moments of games, as well as their typical unpredictability.
Although Pakistan understands more than any other team that such moments are what make careers, there were undoubtedly some aspects of luck involved in the manner they turned those games in their favour. The fact that the joint-longest T20I series of all comes down to a one-match shootout may seem ironic, but the trip to get there has been nothing short of thrilling. After receiving a snub the year after hosting England during the first outbreak of Covid-19, Pakistan felt that England owed them something.
However, there has been a flood of goodwill from both sides ever since England landed in Pakistan, with friendships being formed off the field and abilities being honed there. All six of the teams' games have been met with standing-room-only crowds, and even the presidential-level security that surrounds England doesn't seem to have diminished their pleasure of the trip.
It is also somewhat fitting that the series ends with a game that might decide the outcome, despite accusations that it did not provide circumstances that would mimic the playing surfaces the two teams will confront in the T20 World Cup in Australia.
Getting attention
For Pakistan, Haris Rauf has developed into a real all-phase bowler. Pakistan missed him greatly in the first two phases of the last game when he was rested, and Pakistan would almost likely have missed him in the third phase if England had permitted the game to continue. Both teams won't soon forget the heroic role Rauf played in Pakistan's victory in the fourth game, which bowling coach Shaun Tait referenced somewhat sarcastically in defense of his team's death bowling. When he returns to the squad, as he very certainly will, he should give Pakistan's bowling the boost it needs after being destroyed on Friday. On Friday, teams other than Pakistan also rested their fast bowler. Mark Wood has been a key player in this series despite playing in just two of the first six games after returning from injury and joining the England team. Wood has taken more power play wickets in only three overs than any of his team members against a top order that has frequently proven invincible thanks to his average speed, which was greater throughout those games than any bowler from either side could achieve. A mini-fight between Rauf and Wood will likely be as hotly contested as the main contest between the two teams.
Group news
Haider Ali won't play on Sunday since he was hospitalized following the previous game. He should make room for Khushdil Shah in his absence. Both Mohammad Rizwan and Rauf are anticipated to make a comeback, most likely in place of Mohammad Haris and Shahnawaz Dahani.
Mohammad Rizwan, Shan Masood, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Asif Ali, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Hasnain/Aamer Jamal, Mohammad Wasim, and Haris Rauf are the likely Pakistani starters.
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