Pakistan Tour of England 2016- Predictions

After trumping Sri Lanka a few days back, England are all set to host Pakistan for a 4-match test series, a 5-match ODI series and a one-off T20 International. The visitors have already finished playing their first warm-up match against Somerset which resulted in a draw, and they are to play one more three-day match against Sussex before taking on the hosts in the first test at Lord's that begins on July 14. They will also play a two-day game against Worcestershire after the second test and two one-day internationals against Ireland before the ODI series kicks off from August 24. Pakistan's tour will conclude on September 7 with a one-off T20 international against England at the Old Trafford.

Here’s a quick preview of the two teams and the players that are expected to shine for their respective sides….

England

Alastair Cook will be leading the team for the test series. He along with Jonny Bairstow and Alex Hales were the top three batsmen for England in the recently concluded test series against Sri Lanka. So these three are going to be the key elements in their batting lineup for the tests. Jason Roy, Jos Buttler and Joe Root will be the ones to watch out for once the limited-overs series begins.
James Anderson and Stuart Broad did exceptionally well against Sri Lanka. The former took 21 wickets to become the highest wicket-taker for England. He may not feature in the first test due to injury, but is going to be a formidable force with the ball upon his return. In the one-dayers though, the focus will shift to David Willey, Chris Woakes and Liam Plunkett.

Pakistan

They are one of the most threatening sides when it comes to bowling. The country has produced some of the world's finest fast bowlers over the years and one of them has been Mohammad Amir. The speedster has made a strong comeback into international cricket after his 5-year ban and is already making the ball talk in the warm-ups, claiming four wickets against Somerset. Sohail Khan and leg-spinner Yasir Shah are also looking dangerous at the moment and so these three could be the standout bowlers for Pakistan on this tour.

Batting is what that lets this team down and it is going to be a tough tour for their batsmen in these English conditions. Though they have fared well against Somerset, England will offer a completely different challenge. Nevertheless, most of Pakistan's runs can be expected to made by Mohammad Hafeez, Younis Khan and skipper Misbah-ul-Haq - the three vital cogs in their batting lineup.

Who will Finish on Top in this Tour?

England seem to have warmed up already by defeating Sri Lanka in all the three formats. Pakistan, on the other hand, could be underprepared for this tour as they last featured in international cricket back at the World T20 in India. The last time they toured England in 2010, they went down by 3-1 in the test series. However, they had outclassed England in the same format in UAE (Pakistan's current venue for home games), beating them 3-0 in 2012 and 2-0 in 2015. 

But here in England, in seaming and swinging conditions, the hosts will surely have the upper hand. So the hosts will start off as favorites to win not only the test series, but the limited-overs series as well.