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Every time an even number of games have been played in this series, Pakistan and England have found themselves level. After six intoxicating and wildly entertaining games, neither side has been able to pull clear, and you suspect the final game have would been a decider no matter how many matches this series was played across.

It might be a smidge harsh on England that the series is level if the nature of each side's wins were to be compared. England's triumphs have tended to be blowouts, those games encapsulating the gulf in raw T20 batting ability between the two sides. Pakistan, meanwhile, have found ways to eke out wins by harnessing the intangibles - momentum and pressure at key stages of matches, and of course their trademark unpredictability.

There were surely elements of fortune in the way Pakistan swung those games in their favour, but no side knows better than them that upon such moments are careers built.

It is perhaps ironic that the joint-longest T20I series of all ultimately boils down to a one-match shootout, but the journey that gets us there has been little short of exhilarating. Pakistan felt England owed a debt to the side after Pakistan's tour during the initial outbreak of Covid-19 was reciprocated with a snub the following year.

But since England arrived in Pakistan, there has been a deluge of goodwill from both sides, with friendships forged off the field and skills fine-tuned on it. Packed houses have greeted the teams at all six games, and even the presidential-level security that flanks England appears not to have dampened their enjoyment of the tour.

It is also perhaps appropriate that during a series that bore criticism for failing to prepare conditions that would imitate the surfaces the two sides will encounter at the T20 World Cup in Australia, it at least finishes with a do-or-die game.

Form guide

Pakistan LWWLW (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
England WLLWL

In the spotlight

Team news

Pakistan (probable): 1 Babar Azam (capt), 2 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 3 Shan Masood, 4 Iftikhar Ahmed, 5 Khushdil Shah, 6 Asif Ali, 7 Mohammad Nawaz, 8 Shadab Khan, 9 Mohammad Hasnain/Aamer Jamal, 10 Mohammad Wasim, 11 Haris Rauf

England (probable): 1 Phil Salt (wk), 2 Alex Hales, 3 Dawid Malan, 4 Ben Duckett, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Moeen Ali (capt), 7 Sam Curran, 8 David Willey, 9 Liam Dawson/Adil Rashid, 10 Reece Topley, 11 Mark Wood

Pitch and conditions

A fresh pitch is expected for the final game in Lahore, but conditions are once more likely to be hot and humid.

Stats and trivia