England prepare Twenty20 comeback against Pakistan

Graeme Swann in action against Pakistan (GETTY IMAGES)

England were today digesting the disappointment of their opening defeat in the three-match Twenty20 series against Pakistan, and planning already how they can come back to win 2-1.

Graeme Swann, whose career-best three for 13 proved in vain as England failed by eight runs to chase 144 for six under the Dubai International Cricket Stadium lights last night, accepts the tourists ought to have been able to reach that target.

But he is confident too that the young guns in England's middle order are capable of much better, very soon.

"It's a little bit downbeat," Swann said of the mood in the England camp this morning, with the next match scheduled at the same venue tomorrow.

"We got ourselves in a position to win the game.

"But Twenty20 is an exciting game - most games do go down to the wire - and that's why, in my opinion, it's the best form of one-day cricket."

Umar Gul (three for 18) was largely responsible for squeezing out Stuart Broad's England - notably with the wicket of top-scorer Ravi Bopara.

"They have world-class bowlers at the death, and we didn't cope with that as well as we should have done," added Swann.

"Having said that, we got ourselves in a winning position and nine times out of 10 we'd expect ourselves to cross the line.

"It was disappointing not to do that last night. But we've got two games left in the series to make amends."

PA