Few tours could pan out so one-sided, yet so intriguing, as the first two installments of this one have. The way the two series have unfolded, with both of them going against perceived wisdom, means that nothing could really come as a surprise as the two sides head into a three-match Twenty20 affair.

Neither team could claim to be outright favourites, and after a tour that's swung one way and then the other, both know the value of a fresh start in a new format. All of which adds up to make a clean slate and a compelling contest over the next week.

On paper, you would have to say that Pakistan have the stronger bowling unit, with wilier spinners. Yet the manner in which their batsmen were unable to crank through the gears in the one-day series - and in particular the last match - does not provide a great deal of faith that they can up the tempo for the Twenty20s.

Yes they have Shahid Afridi, but he does not 'boom' often enough to be a regular matchwinner with the bat, while Umar Akmal is also inconsistent. One uncapped batsman who could be given a chance to showcase his talent is Awais Zia, a hard-hitting opening batsman who scored back-to-back hundreds in an Under-25 T20 tournament at the end of last year.

England will naturally go into the series in buoyant mood, and should look to Kevin Pietersen's approach against spin as the best way to succeed. Defensive and cagey in the Test series, Pietersen proved that survival is actually much easier when you take the attack to the bowlers. His footwork in the one-day series was vastly improved, and his eagerness to get down the pitch worked a charm even when, in his own words, he still couldn't pick Saeed Ajmal.

The series will be key for England as they look at their options ahead of the World Twenty20 later this year, because while there is a whole domestic competition to come over the summer, they won't have any more matches in conditions similar to those they'll encounter in Sri Lanka in September.

With that in mind, Jonny Bairstow, Danny Briggs, Jos Buttler and Alex Hales can all expect a chance to show their abilities, and will know that their performances are key to their hopes of inclusion at the World Cup.

Yet of equal interest will be Alastair Cook's efforts to prove that he has evolved his game sufficiently for the shortest format of the game. No-one can now claim that he doesn't have the skills to be a good one-day cricketer, but neither of his hundreds in the recent series suggested he has the game for Twenty20. He's proved us wrong before, though.

Key Men
Pakistan: A large part of Pakistan's batting troubles in the one-day series stemmed from Mohammad Hafeez's lack of form. Not only did his early dismissals often leave them on the back foot, but as one of the better batsmen in terms of pacing an innings, his absence was keenly felt. If he finds form, Pakistan will have a good chance of turning things around.

England: Tuesday's one-dayer was a poignant reminder that Kevin Pietersen remains England's finest matchwinner in limited-overs cricket. With his confidence sky-high once again, it's fair to expect him to sway at least one game in England's favour.

Last Five Head-To-Head Results

Septermber 2010, 2nd T20: England won by six wickets in Cardiff
Septermber 2010, 1st T20: England won by five wickets in Cardiff
May 2010, World T20: England won by siux wickets in Barbados
February 2010, 2nd T20: Pakistan won by four wickets in Dubai
February 2010, 1st T20: England won by seven wickets in Dubai

Prediction
England have historically had Pakistan's number in Twenty20 cricket no matter the conditions, winning five of the seven encounters so far, and with their one-day triumph still fuelling their confidence they seem a good shout for the series honours.

Online betting firm Sky Bet have England at 8/11 to win the series and Pakistan at 11/10. Visit Sky Bet for the latest cricket betting.

Squads
Pakistan: Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Abdur Rehman, Adnan Akmal, Aizaz Cheema, Asad Shafiq, Awais Zia, Hammad Azam, Imran Farhat, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Hafeez, Saeed Ajmal, Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz.

England: Stuart Broad (capt), James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Ravi Bopara, Tim Bresnan, Danny Briggs, Jos Buttler, Alastair Cook, Jade Dernbach, Steven Finn, Alex Hales, Craig Kieswetter, Eoin Morgan, Samit Patel, Kevin Pietersen, Graeme Swann.

Fixtures
First T20I: 23 February, Dubai
Second T20I: 25 February, Dubai
Third T20I: 27 February, Abu Dhabi

All matches begin at 16:00 GMT