Starting well with the new ball

Pakistan will need to bring Joe Root to the crease as soon as possible. If the new ball is still shining and moving around, Aamir and Junaid can have a go at the star English batsman. Aamir is slowly and steadily climbing back to his best as he proved against Sri Lanka. Junaid has put in some good performances in the two games he has played. If these two can strangle England openers, something is bound to give way. Once they have Root in the middle, it is imperative that they bowl tight lines and give as little room as possible

Spinners to strangle the run flow

What M Hafeez and Imad Wasim did to perfection against South Africa was bowling tight stump to stump lines and restricting the flow of runs. Eventually, the pressure built and Hashim Amla wicket was the result. Wasim then went on to dismiss De Villiers first ball and the game had turned on its head. The duo will need to do something similar against England. If they can put a lid on the scoring rate, England will be under pressure. They aren't the best players of spin and Wasim and Hafeez have the skills to contain the run rate.

Starting confidently with the bat

Pakistan is a team that relies on confidence. If they are in the right zone, everything clicks for them and if they aren't, things take a wrong turn. Against a strong team like England, Pakistan will need their openers to get them off to a good start. A good one isn't necessarily a flying start, but the intent matters. Thankfully, Fakhar Zaman is partnering Azhar Ali at the top. The southpaw is an aggressive opener and is good nick. If Zaman and Ali can disrupt the rhythm of the England seamers early, Pakistan will have an upper hand.

Fielding and catching

The importance of the most ignored aspect of cricket cannot be stressed enough, especially in a semi-final. While Pakistan were shambolic in the field against Indian, they came back strong against Proteas with a superb display in the field. If they are to win the semis, something similar has to happen against England. With the kind of line-up England possesses, Pakistan cannot afford even a single dropped chance. Cutting down on the twos and threes will be instrumental to their success.