we have to improve our fitness and fielding before the World Twenty20 (next year in India).
“I had a good opportunity to win the game but I missed it.”
England were lifted to 172-8 by a quickfire 24-ball 38 by James Vince and 22-ball-33 by Buttler as they upped the tempo by notching 58 in the last five overs.
Leg-spinner Shahid Afridi, who took 3-15 in his four overs, derailed the England batting after they looked well-set at 32-0 in the fourth over.
Afridi trapped Alex Hales leg before for 11 and then had Jason Roy caught behind for 22-ball 29 (two sixes and a four) to leave England at 47-2.
Joe Root made 20 before Buttler and Vince lifted England with a 35-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Afridi returned for his last over to have Vince caught in the deep.
Vince hit two sixes and three boundaries.
His wicket was Afridi’s 86th in as many matches, beating countryman Saeed Ajmal (85 wickets in 64 matches) as the highest wicket-taker in all Twenty20 cricket.
Buttler smashed three sixes and a boundary to give England a challenging total to defend.
England, who won the first match by 14 runs in Dubai on Thursday, rested skipper Eoin Morgan in one of four changes to their side.
Pakistan brought back Shehzad and Malik in place of Mohammad Rizwan and Imran Khan Junior.
Score Board
England won toss
England
J J Roy c Sarfraz b Shahid 29
A D Hales lbw b Shahid 11
J M Vince c Anwar b Shahid 38
J E Root c Shahid b Shoaib 20
*†J C Buttler c Sarfraz b Sohail 33
S W Billings c Umar b Wahab 11
D J Willey c Sohaib b Anwar 4
L E Plunkett c Sarfraz b Anwar 1
C R Woakes not out 15
A U Rashid not out 3
Extras (lb 1, w 6) 7
Total (8 wickets; 20 overs) 172
Did not bat: S D Parry
Fall: 1-32, 2-47, 3-74, 4-109, 5-136, 6-150, 7-151, 8-154
Bowling: Anwar 4-0-27-2 (2w); Sohail 4-0-43-1 (1w); Wahab 4-0-44-1 (2w); Shahid 4-0-15-3; Ahmed 1-0-10-0; Shoaib 3-0-32-1 (1w)
Pakistan
Ahmed Shehzad st Buttler b Parry 28
Rafatullah Mohmand st Buttler b Rashid 23
M Hafeez c Willey b Plunkett 25
Shoaib Malik c Billings b Plunkett 26
Sohaib Maqsood b Rashid 2
Umar Akmal c Buttler b Plunkett 3
†Sarfraz Ahmed b Woakes 19
*Shahid Afridi c Plunkett b Woakes 24
Anwar Ali not out 3
Sohail Tanvir not out 6
Extras (lb 2, w 6, nb 2) 10
Total (8 wickets; 20 overs) 169
Did not bat: Wahab Riaz
Fall: 1-51, 2-60, 3-90, 4-93, 5-107, 6-120, 7-148, 8-162
Bowling: Willey 4-0-43-0 (1w); Woakes 4-0-40-2 (1nb, 4w); Plunkett 4-0-33-3 (1nb, 1w); Parry 4-0-33-1; Rashid 4-0-18-2
Result: England won by 3 runs
Series: England lead the 3-match series by 2-0
Man of the Match: L E Plunkett (England)
Umpires: Ahmed Shahab (Pakistan) and Shozab Raza (Pakistan). TV umpire: Ahsan Raza (Pakistan). Match referee: R S Madugalle (Sri Lanka)