England vs Pakistan 1st ODI 2021: Preview, Dream Prediction, Playing 11, Pitch Report, Top Fantasy Picks

England is facing a problematic situation with half the original team testing positive for Covid. Ben Stokes will be the captain leading a team made with nine new uncapped players.

Pakistan clinched a recent ODI series in South Africa 2-1, they are on a high and this is a perfect opportunity for Babar Azam’s men to win the series while facing a 2nd-string England team.

Key Highlights:

England vs Pakistan - 1st ODI: Venue Details

The match between England vs Pakistan will be played at the Sophia Gardens in Cardiff & telecasted live at 5:30 pm IST.

• Average 1st Innings score on this ground: 225 (In ODIs)

England vs Pakistan: Pitch Report & Weather Conditions

Cloud cover should help the bowlers with some movement. The deck is good for batting and usually, the chasing team has a better chance to win. A score of 280+ should be competitive here.

Top Picks for Your Dream Fantasy Team 11:

Following should be top picks for playing fantasy cricket on England vs Pakistan match:

• Dawid Malan will be one of the more senior players in a new-look England side, he has just 3 ODIs under his belt with 90 runs at an average of 45.
• Ben Stokes is the senior-most player in the side with 98 ODIs, 2817 runs at an average of 40.82, and 74 wickets.
• Fakhar Zaman is in top form since the South Africa series, he has 50 ODIs and 2262 runs at an average of 49.17.
• Shadab Khan is one of the prime all-rounders from Pakistan having played 45 ODIs with 383 runs at an average of 25.53 and 59 wickets.

Expert Opinion on England vs Pakistan match

England has some unknown faces who could be your differential pick. One such player is Phillip Salt, he has an average of 52.4 with the bat in this year’s Vitality Blast T20s.

Captain & Vice-Captain choices for your fantasy XI team

• Captain choices: Ben Stokes, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman
• Vice-Captain choices: Phillip Salt, Dawid Malan, Shaheen Afridi