Twenty20 / Ed Hawkins / 05 September 2010 /

The two sides meet in Cardiff today hoping to put on a show which will distract fans from match-fixing allegations. Ed Hawkins discusses the consequences in what will be an odd atmosphere

Team news
The show must go on. A bewildered England and tainted Pakistan meet in Cardiff in the first of two Twenty20 matches with what happens on the field irrelevant compared to what is going on off it.

It feels hollow indeed to discuss the toings and froings of team selection. In fact, if you are a cricketer this would not be a bad one to miss. For England, Stuart Broad (groin) is a doubt to miss out on a contest which will be played in a strange atmosphere. Ajmal Shahzad stands by.

There is no Kevin Pietersen (dropped) and Michael Lumb, the opener, is injured so England's batting has a different look. Wicketkeepers Craig Kieswetter and Steven Davies, the latter takes the gloves, are expected to open. Ravi Bopara is pencilled in for No 3.

Pakistan are, of course, without Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer, the trio suspended by the ICC following match-fixing allegations. Shahid Afridi leads a team woefully short on batting talent while there is spark about their bowling in the form of Umar Gul and Saeed Ajmal. The tiresome Shaoib Akhtar is still around, too.

Venue and conditions
Sophia Gardens is one for the bowlers. Scores this season have been on the low side and we should expect more of the same. In eight one-day internationals, only two sides have scored more than 250 batting first. The150 buttons on the innings ruins market first up should be most popular. The weather forecast is okay. Showers are forecast for around 16.00.

Match odds
With cricket facing up to its inconvenient truth, it is perhaps fitting that the first full match played since corruption allegations resurfaced is one in a format which the ICC's ACSU highlighted as being the gravest threat to the game's health.

Yet fixing is anything but straightforward and if Pakistan cricket really is riddled with fraud, as further stories broke on the morning of the match suggested, then their record in Twenty20 proves how finite the fixes are. Pakistan, former World Twenty20 champions, still have the best record in the world - winning 68% of the games they play.

Still, they are almost friendless as far as the betting goes in heats which are usually much hotter. At [2.96] there are few takers with England, world champions themselves don't forget, at [1.50].

Pakistan will have to restrict England if they are to win because their batting is so weak. The only hitters of note come in the form of Afridi and Abdul Razzak while England are not likely to be perturbed by the sight of veteran Mohammad Yousuf in a young man's game.

Top batsman
England beat Australia on this ground by four wickets earlier this year in a 50-over game and for pitch watchers it was notable how Andrew Strauss (51 and Eoin Morgan (52), gap finders both, were in the runs. Morgan is [5.80] to top score while Paul Collingwood, who has a good record at the venue, is [5.60].

The Akmal brothers, Umar and Kamran, are at [5.30] and [5.40] respectively but Any Other Batsman, which includes Afridi and Razzaq, is favourite at [3.70]. Mo Yo made an ubeaten 91 on the ground against Australia in 2001. He is [5.20].

Featured market
Davies is finally back in the international fold and if he repeats the class he has shown in the county game - he is by far the best keeper-batsman in England in one-day cricket - then the [2.14] that he scores 25 or more is worth a nibble.

Ed Hawkins says: back S Davies to score 25 or more at [2.14]

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