Pakistan begin a seven-match ODI tri-series against Sri Lanka and England on Sunday, with Shaheen Shah Afridi leading the side into a tournament that doubles as an early test of the squad being shaped for the 2027 World Cup. The series opens at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium with Pakistan facing Sri Lanka, five days after Sri Lanka beat them in the final T20I of a series Pakistan had already won.

The tournament runs from October 18 to 31 across Rawalpindi and Lahore, with each team playing the other two twice before a final at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on October 31. Matches start at 1pm local time. Pakistan open against Sri Lanka on October 18, then face England at the same venue on October 20. Sri Lanka and England meet on October 22, after which the tournament moves to Lahore, where Pakistan play England on October 25 and Sri Lanka on October 27, and the two visiting sides finish the group stage on October 29.

The series carries particular interest because of England’s presence. Gulf News described it as England’s first ODI series in Pakistan in 21 years, a reminder of how much the cricketing landscape has changed since the last time the two sides played one-day cricket in the country. Harry Brook captains an England squad that includes Gus Atkinson, Sonny Baker, Tom Banton, Sam Curran and three uncapped players, Mason Crane, James Coles and Henry Crocombe. Jos Buttler misses the tour through injury and Jofra Archer has been rested. Kusal Mendis leads a Sri Lanka side that has just come through a mixed week in Pakistan.

Pakistan’s 16-man squad blends experience with newer faces. Alongside Shaheen, it includes Babar Azam, who plays only in the one-day format and was not part of the T20I team, as well as Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Hasan Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shadab Khan, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed, Sufiyan Moqim, Saad Baig, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Arafat Minhas and Razaullah. Seven players, including Shaheen and Babar, arrived at the team hotel earlier this week, and the squad began training on Thursday under newly appointed bowling coach Shaun Tait, who worked with Shaheen and Razaullah on the first day.

The T20I series offers some useful background. Pakistan won it 2-1, taking the first two matches with batting performances from Sahibzada Farhan and Maaz Sadaqat, before Sri Lanka won the third by eight wickets in Rawalpindi on October 13. That defeat came in a match that did not affect the series result, but it did show that Sri Lanka are capable of beating Pakistan in these conditions, and several players who featured in the T20Is will be returning for a different format against the same opponent.

The one-day game is a different challenge. Pakistan’s ODI side has been working through questions about its middle order, its spin options and the balance of its pace attack, and the tri-series gives selectors a run of games against two quality opponents with the 2027 World Cup in mind. Babar’s return to the XI will draw attention, as will the opening combinations and how Shaheen manages his bowlers across a schedule that has seven matches in 14 days. For the bowling group, the partnership of Shaheen, Naseem and Haris Rauf will be tested early, with Razaullah, who made his T20I debut this month, among the younger names looking to establish themselves.

Home conditions will favour Pakistan to a degree, but not completely. Afternoon starts in Rawalpindi and Lahore bring heat and, at times, slow, grippy surfaces that reward spinners, which could bring Abrar Ahmed, Shadab Khan and Sufiyan Moqim into play. England’s batting line-up is aggressive, and Sri Lanka have shown they can build and chase totals, so neither visiting side will be a pushover.

For Pakistan, a strong start against Sri Lanka would help settle the group and avoid the pressure of chasing qualification for the final in the later rounds. For the visitors, the tournament is a chance to experiment while adjusting to subcontinental conditions ahead of the World Cup. Whichever way the opening game goes, it will begin a two-week stretch that says a good deal about where Pakistan’s one-day side stands a year before the global tournament.

Compiled by the Weekly PK Sports Desk.