Pakistan’s captain Shaheen Afridi (C), England’s skipper Harry Brook (L) and Sri Lanka’s captain Kusal Mendis pose with the trophy ahead of Sunday’s ODI tri-series opener at Pindi Stadium. Photo: PCB
Pakistan will look to make a strong start when they face Sri Lanka in the opening match of the ODI tri-series at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Sunday, with the match scheduled to begin at 1pm.
England are the third team in the series and they also held their first training session at the venue on Saturday ahead of the tournament.
Pakistan’s captain Shaheen Shah Afridi said his team were focused on building a solid squad for the 2027 World Cup.
“Our focus is on the World Cup. We have been trying to build the team since the previous series, keeping the conditions in South Africa in mind,” Shaheen told reporters on Saturday.
He declined to comment on Test cricket but praised Pakistan’s recent performances in the T20I series against Sri Lanka, saying the team were united and determined to improve.
“We want to play cricket aggressively,” he said, adding that Pakistan would make every effort to win the World Cup.
Shaheen backed experienced batsman Babar Azam, describing him as the backbone of the team and insisting that he was under no pressure.
He added that Babar, who captained Pakistan for five years, remained an important figure for younger players to learn from.
“Babar is the backbone of the team,” Shaheen said, noting that the batsman had also been working on his form in first-class cricket.
Pakistan captain also praised Salman Ali Agha’s form, highlighting his recent triple century in first-class cricket. Shaheen said he wanted to contribute with the bat, ball and in the field.
He expressed confidence in Pakistan’s batting resources, saying their experienced middle order could chase a target of 400 runs. He added that younger players would be given opportunities gradually, while highlighting Saim Ayub’s bowling as a valuable asset in the ODI format.
Pakistan have won several recent series but have been unable to complete a clean sweep, Shaheen said, adding that the team continued to work towards greater consistency.
Meanwhile Sri Lanka’s captain Kusal Mendis was also positive ahead of the challenging series.
“We have plans in place towards the World Cup and I hope my charges will show some good progress,” Mendis said.
Sri Lanka struggled against Pakistan in the first two T20I matches in Pindi before whipping the Green-shirts by eight wickets in the third.
And they will be looking to transfer that late spark into the tri-series.
England’s captain Harry Brook, meanwhile, expects a demanding contest against two strong opponents but said his charges were keen to develop into a team capable of winning in all conditions.
“The tri-series will be a contest between very good teams,” Brook said, adding that playing cricket in Pakistan could be challenging.
Brook is familiar with local conditions after representing Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League at the age of 22. He said the experience had helped his international career and made him more confident when playing in the country.
“I know the conditions in Pakistan and the players here,” Brook said. “Playing in the PSL helped me a lot in international cricket.”
Brook said England wanted to become a side capable of chasing any target, acknowledging that their ODI squad lacked experience with only a handful of players having played 50 matches in the format.
The 27-year-old also called for batting-friendly pitches, saying he enjoyed surfaces that allowed high scores and believed spectators wanted to see boundaries and sixes.
He added that playing as much cricket as possible before the World Cup would benefit England’s preparations.
The tri-series begins in Rawalpindi on Sunday before moving to Lahore, with the final scheduled for October 31 at the Gaddafi Stadium.
