NEW DELHI: Pakistan, England and Sri Lanka will begin their preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup with a triangular series starting in Rawalpindi on Sunday. With the 50-over World Cup, to be jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, less than a year away, the series offers all three former champions an opportunity to assess their squads and combinations.
Pakistan captain Shaheen Shah Afridi stressed the importance of using the tournament to build momentum ahead of the World Cup, with the host set to face Sri Lanka in the opening match.
Pakistan, which won the World Cup in 1992, has not reached the semifinals since 2011 and finished fifth in the 2023 edition in India.
England, the 2019 champion, endured a disappointing title defence in 2023, finishing seventh, while Sri Lanka, which won the tournament in 1996, also struggled.
Pakistan will welcome back former captain Babar Azam, who was omitted from the T20I series against Sri Lanka earlier this month. The host won that series 2-1.
England captain Harry Brook believes the competition will provide a useful measure of his team’s progress against two strong opponents. England begins its campaign against Pakistan on Tuesday.
The visitor will be without Jos Buttler, who is recovering from an injury, and fast bowler Jofra Archer, who has been rested. Agencies
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