RAWALPINDI, Pakistan: England starts as favorite to win an ODI tri-series against Pakistan and Sri Lanka despite missing Jos Buttler and Jofra Archer.
All three nations have directly qualified for next year’s World Cup to be co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia and the tri-series is a buildup for them to shape up their squads.
The series will be played on double-league format with Rawalpindi hosting the first three games, starting with Sunday’s opener between Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Lahore hosts four games, including the final between the top two teams on Oct. 31.
England comes into the series following three straight victories in the last three bilateral ODI series, including home and away victories over Sri Lanka and a 2-1 victory over India at home.
"It’s been quite a slick process for us in the last few months,” captain Harry Brook said Saturday. "Pakistan are going to present us challenges that we probably haven’t quite faced yet as an ODI side and we’re really looking forward to that opportunity of playing against Pakistan and Sri Lanka in subcontinental conditions.”
Fast bowler Archer has been rested after a busy home summer while Buttler was ruled out because of a hamstring injury sustained during England’s 16-run loss in the second ODI against Sri Lanka at Headingley last month.
Buttler’s absence will give an opportunity to Jordan Cox as a wicketkeeper-batter and give white-ball coach Brendon McCullum a chance to test the depth of the side ahead of World Cup.
Sonny Baker has been drafted in to fill in the shoes of Archer and observers will be watching for his reverse-swing skills and yorkers - especially in the death overs.
"If we get the opportunity to get to that final (on Oct. 31), it will show us where we are as a squad and where we - as an eleven - going into a pressure game,” Brook said. "We want to be a side where we can win in any conditions against any opposition and that’s been the main messaging really.”
Brook has happy memories of scoring loads of runs in Pakistan, both in white-ball format and in red-ball cricket. He played for Lahore Qalandars during the 2022 Pakistan Super League and followed it with 468 runs during the three-test series in Pakistan.
Pakistan has never won a home ODI tournament involving more than two teams since it first hosted Australia and South Africa in a tri-series in 1994.
But captain Shaheen Afridi was hopeful that this time the team can win a trophy with the likes of star batter Babar Azam scoring big on wickets similar to the ones expected for next year’s World Cup.
"Babar is a backbone of our team,” Afridi said. "His presence is very good for the team, and we learn a lot from him.”
Babar has scored just one ODI century over the last three years, although his career average of 53.43 is still impressive with 6,626 runs, including 20 centuries.
The star batter turned to four-day domestic cricket after England swept Pakistan 3-0 in the test series, but returned with the scores of 12, 4, 21 and 21 in four innings.
Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka 2-1 in the preceding T20 series under new captain Sahibzada Farhan, who is not part of the ODI squad. Afridi, Babar, Salman Ali Agha and Haris Rauf were also ignored for the T20s, but were included in the tri-series.
Sri Lanka suffered another injury blow when opening batter Pathum Nissanka was ruled out because of a hamstring injury. Lahiru Udara replaced him.
Spinner Wanindu Hasaranga will miss out because of an injury and Charith Asalanka was not considered after a subpar performance during the England tour.
Sri Lanka has recalled all-rounder Dasun Shanaka, who hasn’t played 50-over format since early 2024 while Avishka Fernando was drafted in place of Asalanka. Fernando hasn’t played an ODI since early 2025 but forced his way back into the national team after scoring two centuries in the recent domestic cricket.