Related player/official links: Dirk Nannes | Shoaib Akhtar | Umar Akmal Matches: Australia vs Pakistan at Birmingham Series/Tournaments: Tour of Pakistan in England | Tour of Australia in England and Ireland Teams: Australia | Pakistan Match facts Monday, July 5 and Tuesday, July 6, Edgbaston Start time 1700 (1600 GMT) The Big Picture Pakistan and Australia will be battling each other on neutral territory in England next month, and this Twenty20 match at Edgbaston gives the teams their first glimpse of the opposition. Little rides on the two-match Twenty20 series, given that it is barely six weeks after the World Twenty20. But a one-sided contest or the other team could provide momentum for the two Tests later this month. Australia come into this series off a lost ODI series, even though they won the last two matches, while Pakistan failed in the Asia Cup but also ended on a high when they thrashed Bangladesh in depth. Any team captained by Shahid Afridi and featuring Shoaib Akhtar cannot fail to fascinate. Akhtar was not at his best during the Asia Cup, but the sight of Shaun Tait bowling at 160kph might spur him on to reach his highest velocity? And Afridi, who led Pakistan to the World Twenty20 semi-finals, will find a way to end Pakistan's losing streak of 12 matches against Australia across all formats? The last time these teams met, it was a prestigious encounter that almost reached 400 runs and ended in one of the most memorable finishes in the short history of the format, as Michael Hussey steered Australia to the World Twenty20 final. They needed 18 off the last over; Hussey did it with a ball to spare. There is much less riding on this game this time, but the result is undoubtedly etched in the memories of the players in Pakistan. Here is their chance for revenge. Form guide (most recent first): Australia LWWWW Pakistan LWLLL Watch out for: It was all about Shaun Tait last week, but he will be joined in a fierce new-ball attack at Birmingham by Dirk Nannes. Nannes has not had a place in the Australia one-day setup recently, so he is fresh after playing only Twenty20s for Nottinghamshire lately. His left-arm angle and pace always create headaches, and if the batsmen try to see Tait off and attack at the other end, it could mark a successful career moment for Nannes. Umar Akmal is still in his early days, but he already commands the respect of Australian bowlers. A third of his international matches have been against Australia, and his ability to score quickly makes him particularly dangerous in Twenty20s. The last time he faced Michael Clarke's men, he blasted an unbeaten 56 off 35 balls in the World Twenty20 semi-final. Injury news: The loss of Ryan Harris due to a knee injury leaves... Related thematic articles: Abercrombie Belgium boutique kgw ufs DLQ