‘If Pakistan are serious about T20 World Cup’: R Ashwin’s masterplan to neutralise England’s spin threat in Pallekele

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As Pakistan prepares to face England in a high-stakes T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 clash at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on February 24, 2026, the subcontinental conditions are expected to play a decisive role. With the surface likely to offer significant turn, England’s premier leg-spinner Adil Rashid looms as a major threat to the Pakistan batting lineup.

Ahead of this critical fixture, veteran Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has offered strategic advice to the Salman Ali Agha-led side, focusing on how to dismantle England’s spin duo of Rashid and Liam Dawson. Ashwin believes that the tactical blueprint for success has already been laid out by an unlikely source: the Nepal cricket team.

Ashwin has urged Pakistan to reintegrate Fakhar Zaman into their middle order, specifically to counter the threat posed by England’s spinners in the middle overs. While Zaman has had a quiet tournament thus far, Ashwin highlights his superior technical ability to handle high-quality spin through aggressive footwork and the use of the sweep shot.

By promoting the left-hander, Pakistan can disrupt the rhythm of Rashid, who has already taken eight wickets in the tournament but remains susceptible to batters who target the square boundaries. Ashwin points to Nepal’s performance on February 8, where their batters targeted Rashid relentlessly, forcing him into a wicketless spell of 0/42 in just three overs. This aggressive approach forced England into a defensive shell and nearly resulted in one of the greatest upsets in T20 World Cup history.

“If Pakistan is serious about this World Cup campaign, they need to think about giving Fakhar Zaman a go in the middle order. He can sweep and use his feet against Rashid and Dawson to inflict some serious damage through the middle overs. This was Nepal’s success formula against Rashid and there are some key learning’s that the other teams can try to imbibe. Access the square boundaries to earn balls in the step hit zone.” Ashwin wrote on X.

If Pakistan are serious about this World Cup campaign, they need to think about giving Fakhar Zaman a go in the middle order.

He can sweep and use his feet against Rashid and Dawson to inflict some serious damage through the middle overs.

This was Nepals success formulae…

— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) February 24, 2026

Also READ: ENG vs PAK, T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8: Pallekele International Cricket Stadium Pitch Report, T20I Stats and Records

The clash in Pallekele is essentially a must-win for Pakistan after their opening Super 8 fixture against New Zealand was abandoned due to rain, leaving them with just a single point. England, meanwhile, enters the match with immense confidence following a 51-run demolition of Sri Lanka, where Will Jacks and Jofra Archer proved lethal in the powerplay.

Pakistan’s hopes rest on the form of Sahibzada Farhan, who leads the tournament scoring charts with 220 runs, and a spin-heavy attack featuring Usman Tariq and Abrar Ahmed. However, as Ashwin notes, the key to victory lies in the middle-order battle; if Pakistan can utilize Zaman to ‘access the step-hit zone,’ they may finally find the formula to halt England’s unbeaten run in the Super 8s.

Also READ: PAK vs ENG, T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 Match Prediction – Who will win today’s game between Pakistan and England?