daily fantasy sports articles

The 2022 T20 World Cup will reach its climax on Sunday night with Pakistan and England facing off for top honours at the MCG.

Both teams have been in supreme form of late, so expect to see some high-quality cricket. Rain is expected to have a tangible impact on this decider, so keep an eye on the forecast in the hours leading up to the first ball.

Draftstars has put up a huge $20,000 contest, with top prize $2184. There is also a mini and a single-entry tournament.

Expected Pakistan Xl: Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Haris, Shan Masood, Ifthikar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim

Expected England Xl: Jos Buttler, Alex Hales, Phil Salt, Ben Stokes, Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Chris Woakes, Chris Jordan, Adil Rashid
 

England will head into the final with maximum momentum after steamrolling India by 10 wickets in their Semi Final. Openers Jos Buttler and Alex Hales made it look easy with the bat, each posting scores in the 80s to guide England home. Those two men will be the danger players again in the Final, as they set for the platform for big scores which have eluded Pakistan throughout this tournament. With the ball, quicks Sam Curran and Mark Wood have been the main destroyers, but there is a fair chance only the former will line-up on Sunday night. Curran’s skidding, swinging left armers have bamboozled many batsmen, so I expect him to be a popular DFS selection.

Pakistan have caught fire late in the tournament after two losing their first two matches, led by inspirational spearhead Shaheen Afridi. Afridi has taken 10 wickets and looked like a man on a mission – he could be the key to exposing England’s middle order early in this final. Shadab Khan, who has also taken 10 wickets while keeping things tight, will certainly hope that that’s the case. The bowlers have been central to Pakistan’s revival – they have only surpassed 160 once with the bat so restricting the opposition has been key. In a positive for the underdogs, there is plenty of scope for growth in the batting department - Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam have been steady if not dominant in this tournament, so they could unlock a huge runs boost in the Final.

Here's some fantasy plays for the the Final on Draftstars.

Love It- Chris Jordan $10,600

Jordan came in for the injured Wood against India and made an instant impact, taking three wickets to score 69 fantasy points. The skilful right-arm quick will be a designated death bowler for England, a role which is very fantasy friendly as cheap wickets are often on offer. For this reason, he looks a great salary saver play.

Love It- Shadab Khan $20,200

Khan enters this contest as the top priced DFS asset, a well-deserved title. He has averaged 82 points this tournament, taking wickets through the middle of the innings as well as making handy runs. England have been bogged down by spin often in this World Cup, so expect Khan to produce another tidy spell.

Don’t Love It- Babar Azam $17,300

Azam has struggled to get going in this tournament, averaging just 22 DFS points. While he is undoubtedly a class act, I believe there are other batsmen on this slate who have potential for far superior scores, given that Azam has not been scoring quickly. While Azam scored 63 points against New Zealand in his last start, that is close to his ceiling so it’s hard to justify paying up.

Don’t Love It- Harry Brook $8,800

Brook has been afforded few opportunities in this World Cup, given the performances of the batters above him. I’m sure many will select the talented youngster because of his minimum price, but England will have to have a top order collapse for him to have a chance at scoring well. In a game I expect England to win, no thanks.

Who Knows - Ben Stokes $16,400

It’s been a ‘nearly’ tournament for Stokes, who has taken five wickets and scored 58 runs. He is playing a predominant role with both ball and bat, but we’re yet to see him play at his damaging best. As an Australian, I know well this man’s ability to change a game… will we see it at the MCG?

Draftstars Suggested Lineup