Big picture: Focus sharpens on 50-over format
If Pakistan versus England feels like a familiar match-up, that is because it is. Pakistan’s Test tour of England in August and September ended in a 3-0 whitewash, with off-field controversies far outweighing on-field positives. They have since rediscovered white-ball form, securing a T20I series win and a victory in the tri-series opener against Sri Lanka — whom England also beat in five of six white-ball games last month.
For England, this marks their fifth visit to Pakistan since 2022, encompassing two Test tours, a T20I series, and the Champions Trophy. After a 17-year absence, Harry Brook’s side have become regular visitors, enjoying success despite the 2025 Champions Trophy representing an unhappy start to Brendon McCullum’s white-ball tenure and prompting Jos Buttler’s resignation as captain.
With less than a year until the 2027 ODI World Cup, the focus on the format has sharpened. Pakistan also struggled at the Champions Trophy but have shown improved form under Shaheen Afridi’s captaincy. They have requested pitches with pace for this tri-series, in Afridi’s words, “so our fast bowlers and batters are ready for the conditions they are expected to come across in South Africa.” The four quicks duly shared nine wickets in a comprehensive opening win.
England arrive in buoyant mood after beating Sri Lanka 2-1 at home to claim a third consecutive series win, amid signs they are finally progressing in ODIs. It was this time last year that they were bowled out 3-0 on seaming pitches in New Zealand, with Brook fending off bouncers of a different kind; that series set the tone for a disastrous Ashes, but Brook has steadily rebuilt his reputation while taking charge of an increasingly successful white-ball unit.
“I’ve learnt a lot as a captain, I’ve learnt a lot as a person. I know it wasn’t an ideal situation to put myself in, but I feel like as a captain and a leader I’ve learnt a lot,” he told the Press Association ahead of Tuesday’s game in Rawalpindi, adding that he wants to be “the man England fans and the team rely on”. If he can lead England to a first one-day success in Pakistan since 1987-88 — the tour which featured Mike Gatting vs Shakoor Rana — it will only bolster his status further.
Form guide
Pakistan: WWLWL (Last five completed matches, most recent first)
England: WLWWW
In the spotlight: Salman Agha and Jordan Cox
Salman Agha scored an 82-ball century in the tri-series opener•Muhammad Sameer Ali/Getty Images
Pakistan cricket can be a rollercoaster for all involved, but few have experienced the ups and downs of Salman Agha in recent months. Having deputised as Test captain against England in the first Test at Headingley in August, he was dropped for the second and sent home before the third — to which he responded by scoring a domestic triple-hundred. Further ignominy followed when he was stripped of the T20I captaincy and omitted from the squad to face Sri Lanka — but he responded eloquently upon his recall for his preferred format, hitting an 82-ball hundred to lay the platform for Sunday’s victory in Rawalpindi.
Jordan Cox has also had a busy period, though largely on an upward trajectory with England. After impressing in the Test series against Pakistan batting at No. 3, he was parachuted into the ODI side for the final game against Sri Lanka following Buttler’s hamstring injury at Leeds. With Buttler absent for this tour and the subsequent trip to Australia, Cox has the chance to further burnish his credentials behind the stumps and cement his position as the next batter in line with the World Cup approaching.
Team news: Rashid and Curran return for England
Pakistan handed Saad Baig a surprise debut behind the stumps in the tri-series opener, though he shone more with the bat than the gloves. They seem likely to persist with a winning XI. Shadab Khan and Sofyan Moqim have been suffering from illness but remain with the squad.
Pakistan (possible): 1 Fakhar Zaman, 2 Saim Ayub, 3 Babar Azam, 4 Saad Baig (wk), 5 Salman Agha, 6 Hasan Nawaz, 7 Arafat Minhas, 8 Faheem Ashraf, 9 Shaheen Afridi (capt), 10 Haris Rauf, 11 Naseem Shah
Sam Curran returns to the England set-up after injury•Sameer Ali/Getty Images
Adil Rashid is fit after missing the home ODI series against Sri Lanka last month, while Sam Curran also returns after a groin problem that has sidelined him since August. Jofra Archer has been rested for this tour, but England could persist with a predominantly pace attack if conditions dictate. Liam Dawson and Mason Crane — uncapped in ODIs and almost nine years on from his last England appearance — offer further spin options.
England (possible): 1 Tom Banton, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Joe Root, 4 Harry Brook (capt), 5 Jordan Cox (wk), 6 Will Jacks, 7 Sam Curran/Jamie Overton, 8 Gus Atkinson, 9 Adil Rashid, 10 Josh Tongue, 11 Sonny Baker
Pitch and conditions: More fast scoring in prospect
The surfaces in Rawalpindi are expected to be on the quicker side, as demonstrated by the first match where Sri Lanka were well placed in pursuit of 306, only for a lower-order collapse to leave them short. With dew likely to factor in during the evening for another day-night match, both teams may be keen to chase.
Stats and trivia
- England’s last trip to Pakistan for ODIs was the 2025 Champions Trophy, in which they lost all three games.
- The last time they played Pakistan in an away ODI series was more than 20 years ago, when they lost a five-match series 3-2.
- Pakistan sit fifth on the ICC ODI rankings, one place above England, and have won each of their last three series on home soil.
- Joe Root is 97 runs away from becoming the first Englishman (and 34th overall) to reach 8,000 ODI runs.
- Afridi is one wicket shy of 150 in the format.
Quotes
“In the last six to eight months we’re certainly trending in the right direction as a squad. I think we’re really building towards the make-up of the side that we want.”
Harry Brook
