T20 World Cup super 8: Spinners in focus as England, Pakistan eye crucial points

ICC Twenty20 World Cup 2026: England vs Paksitan Super 8 match in Pallekele on February 24 2026

On a surface expected to assist slow bowlers, both England and Pakistan will lean heavily on their spin resources in their Super Eights clash in the T20 World Cup in Pallekele on Tuesday (February 24, 2026).

England may not have hit top gear yet, but the two-time champions have found ways to win.

They kicked off their Super Eights campaign with a commanding 51-run victory over Sri Lanka, a result that significantly boosted their net run rate and took them to the top of the standings.

Defending a modest total against Sri Lanka, England played according to the conditions perfectly. Their spinners did the bulk of the work along with pacer Jofra Archer to trigger a dramatic Sri Lankan batting collapse.

The ever-reliable leg spinner Adil Rashid and left arm spinner Liam Dawson have combined well to get the wickets.

Meanwhile, Will Jacks has emerged as an unlikely match-winner. His off-spin has been handy, but it is his contributions with the bat, 39 against Nepal, 16 against Scotland and 53 versus Italy, that have repeatedly bailed England out of trouble.