Pakistan’s men’s cricket team starts a big home one-day series tomorrow, and the players say they are excited. Captain Shaheen Shah Afridi’s side will play England and Sri Lanka in a seven-match tri-nation series in Rawalpindi and Lahore, with the final on October 31.
What Is the Tri-Series?
Each of the three teams plays the other two twice. After the league stage, the top two teams meet in the final. The Pakistan Cricket Board described it with a short line on social media: “New format, new challenge, same hunger.”
Match Schedule
| Match | Date | Teams | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | October 18 | Pakistan vs Sri Lanka | Rawalpindi |
| 2nd | October 20 | Pakistan vs England | Rawalpindi |
| 3rd | October 22 | England vs Sri Lanka | Rawalpindi |
| 4th | October 25 | Pakistan vs England | Lahore |
| 5th | October 27 | Pakistan vs Sri Lanka | Lahore |
| 6th | October 29 | England vs Sri Lanka | Lahore |
| Final | October 31 | To be decided | Lahore |
All matches start at 1:30pm local time as day-night games.
What the Players Are Saying
Batter Fakhar Zaman spoke to reporters at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Friday. He called ODI cricket his favourite format and said the team is in good rhythm after recent first-class matches, which he believes helped their fitness and mental toughness.
Fakhar also spoke about Pakistan’s long wait for a major trophy. He said the team has reached finals and semi-finals in recent years but could not win them, and that “winning a trophy is different from reaching a final.” He said the players have talked about this seriously and want to bring a big title home. He added that the series is an important step before next year’s ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in Africa.
He also pointed out that Test cricket and white-ball cricket are very different, and said changes in the squad will affect how Pakistan plays.
Pakistan’s Squad
Pakistan have named a 16-player squad: Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wicketkeeper), Haris Rauf, Hasan Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Razaullah, Saad Baig (wicketkeeper), Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan and Sufiyan Moqim.
Two names stand out. Razaullah, the young fast bowler who got his first white-ball call-up after his batting in the third Test against England, is in the squad. Wicketkeeper-batter Saad Baig has also been included. Wisden reports that Mohammad Rizwan was left out, linking this to an ongoing probe by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency.
How Pakistan Are Preparing
The squad began training on Thursday with a three-hour session at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Head coach Mike Hesson, batting coach Mike Smith, bowling coach Shaun Tait and fielding coach Mansoor Amjad led the session. The fast bowlers, including Shaheen, Haris Rauf, Razaullah, Faheem Ashraf and Naseem Shah, worked with Tait, while the spinners bowled long spells in the nets.
Pakistan come into the series in good spirits after beating Sri Lanka 2-1 in the T20I series.
The Other Teams
England are bringing a large group of 33 people, including a 16-player ODI squad, and are led by Harry Brook. Sri Lanka are captained by Kusal Mendis.
Final Thoughts
For Pakistan, this series is about more than winning matches at home. It is a chance to build a team for next year’s World Cup and to finally turn good form into a trophy. With a new format, a new-look squad, and a final on home soil, there should be plenty of twists and turns ahead.
