Adil Rashid says England in a 'good place' for T20 World Cup defence

NEW DELHI: Adil Rashid believes England are well-prepared for their T20 World Cup defense after securing a seven-wicket win over Pakistan at The Oval, which clinched a 2-0 victory in a rain-affected four-match series. England's campaign begins against Scotland in Barbados on June 4.
England's preparations faced setbacks with two games against Pakistan, in Leeds and Cardiff, washed out.However, Jofra Archer's return to international cricket was a highlight. Archer took two wickets in the second T20 at Edgbaston and formed an effective pace duo with Mark Wood at The Oval. Wood bowled at speeds up to 96 mph, dismissing Azam Khan and Naseem Shah, while Archer took the crucial wicket of Pakistan captain Babar Azam.

In The Oval match, Pakistan collapsed from 59-0 to 157 all out, with Rashid claiming 2-37. England captain Jos Buttler (39) and Phil Salt (45) ensured victory with a rapid opening stand of 82, leading to a win with 27 balls to spare.
England heads to the Caribbean with confidence, aiming to retain their title after a disappointing defense of their 50-over crown at last year's World Cup in India. "We feel confident and we're positive," Rashid said. "It is different conditions and obvious playing in a tournament there is different pressure as well, but we're in a good place."
Rashid praised the impact of Archer and Wood, "Seeing Jof and Woody, when you watch them bowl it is exciting. Seeing the ball zip off the pitch, the keeper taking it really high and it's exciting to have two quality, world-class bowlers in our squad," the 36-year-old added.
Pakistan's performance at The Oval was lackluster, with Haris Rauf's 3-38 being a rare highlight. Reflecting on their preparation, Babar Azam said, "When you play a big tournament, your confidence is always high. Our confidence is still high and we will try our best."
Pakistan will begin their T20 World Cup campaign against co-hosts United States in Dallas on June 6.
(Inputs from AFP)