England, Sri Lanka and hosts Pakistan will open a one-day international tri-series in Rawalpindi on Sunday as the three sides prepare for next year’s 50-over World Cup. The global tournament, co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, is a little under a year away.
Pakistan captain Shaheen Shah Afridi described the series as vital. “It will be important we do well as the focus will be on the World Cup and we need to get good preparations,” Shaheen said before his team’s opener against Sri Lanka on Sunday.
Recent results leave all three sides wanting more
All three teams are former World Cup champions, but their recent form is less encouraging. Pakistan, champions in 1992, have not reached the ODI World Cup semi-finals since 2011 and finished fifth at the last tournament in India three years ago.
England won the title at home in 2019 but finished seventh in 2023. Sri Lanka, the 1996 champions, have also fallen short of their past success.
Pakistan will welcome back ace batter Babar Azam, who was left out of the Twenty20 series against Sri Lanka. Pakistan won that series 2-1 last week.
England and Sri Lanka look to test their form
England skipper Harry Brook said the series was “a great opportunity against two very strong sides”. He added that it would “hold us in good stead”, and that playing in the final would show the team where it stands. Brook’s side meet Pakistan on Tuesday.
England are without star batter Jos Buttler, who is injured, and fast bowler Jofra Archer, who has been rested. Still, they arrive on the back of three successive ODI series wins, two against Sri Lanka and one over India.
Sri Lankan skipper Kusal Mendis was positive about his side’s preparations. “We have plans in place (towards the World Cup) and I hope the team shows some good progress,” Mendis said.
Tri-series fixtures run until the Lahore final
Every team plays the other two twice, and the top two sides meet in the final on October 31 in Lahore. The schedule is:
- October 18: Pakistan vs Sri Lanka, Rawalpindi
- October 20: Pakistan vs England, Rawalpindi
- October 22: England vs Sri Lanka, Rawalpindi
- October 25: Pakistan vs England, Lahore
- October 27: Pakistan vs Sri Lanka, Lahore
- October 29: England vs Sri Lanka, Lahore
- October 31: Final, Lahore
