ICC Champions Trophy 2017: England vs Pakistan, 5 players to watch out for

England will hope to overcome Pakistan and seal a berth in the finals

 

England take on Pakistan in the first semi-final of ICC Champions Trophy 2017 at Cardiff with huge expectations from the home crowd after they surged to the semis by beating Australia, New Zealand and Bangladesh in the group stages. 

Pakistan, on the other hand, edged out Sri Lanka and South Africa to finish second in their group but are considered underdogs in this fixture. Bowling is their forte and if they are to contain England, one of their premier pace bowlers will have to be on top of their game. 

Extra Cover: ICC Champions Trophy 2017, England vs Pakistan: 5 things Pakistan should do to beat England

England are well balanced despite the loss of Chris Woakes and would look to put pressure on a vulnerable Pakistan batting line-up. Ben Stokes, who smashed a hundred in the last game against Australia, will be expected to step up yet again if the top order fails against the Pakistani seamers.

Here are five players to watch out for from the first semi-final at Cardiff.

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#5 Junaid Khan

 

Junaid Khan has been a revelation ever since coming back into the ODI squad

 

The exceptional Pakistan seamer came into the playing XI after Wahab Riaz was ruled out of the tournament. Junaid impressed with an economical spell against South Africa and then ripped Sri Lanka apart with a penetrative spell of fast bowling. 

Partnering Mohammad Amir at the top, Junaid has been top notch thus far. His ability to swing the ball back into the right-handers will be handy against the England top three. 

Record against England

Matches - 1, Wickets - 1, BBI - 1/53, Avg - 53.00