Pakistan vs Sri Lanka opens ODI tri-series in Rawalpindi on Sunday: full schedule, squads and what to know

Key takeaways

• Pakistan host England and Sri Lanka in a seven-match ODI tri-series from Sunday, 18 October to Saturday, 31 October.
• The opener is Pakistan vs Sri Lanka at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium; the final is at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.
• Each side plays the other two teams twice; the top two in the table reach the final.
• Shaheen Shah Afridi captains Pakistan, with Babar Azam in the squad and wicketkeeper-batter Saad Baig earning a first ODI call-up.
• Sri Lanka have lost opener Pathum Nissanka (hamstring); England are without Jos Buttler (hamstring) and have rested Jofra Archer.

Full schedule

Fixtures as published by the ECB. Wisden lists all matches as day-night games starting at 1.30pm Pakistan time.

Pakistan squad

Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Ghazi Ghori (wk), Haris Rauf, Hasan Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Razaullah, Saad Baig (wk), Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Sufiyan Moqim.

The squad trained at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Thursday and Friday under head coach Mike Hesson, with bowling coach Shaun Tait working with the fast bowlers, The Nation reports. Saad Baig, a former Pakistan Under-19 captain, scored more than 1,000 runs in last season's Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, according to Dawn. Wisden notes Mohammad Rizwan was left out; Pakistan come in after beating Sri Lanka 2-1 in the T20I series.

England and Sri Lanka

England are led by Harry Brook. Adil Rashid (hand) and Sam Curran (groin) return from injury, Joe Root is included, and three players are uncapped in ODIs: Mason Crane, Henry Crocombe and James Coles, the ECB says.

Sri Lanka are captained by wicketkeeper Kusal Mendis. Pathum Nissanka has been ruled out with a hamstring injury and replaced by Lahiru Udara, who hit 91 off 55 balls in the first T20I against Pakistan, ESPNcricinfo reports. Sahan Arachchige is in the squad as a replacement for the injured Wanindu Hasaranga, according to Wisden.

Central contracts on hold (unconfirmed report)

A report by Indian news agency PTI, citing an unnamed source, says the PCB will wait until after this tri-series, and possibly the November Tests against Sri Lanka, before announcing new central contracts so Hesson and the selectors can judge current form. The PCB has not confirmed this; the board has earlier said new contracts will be format-based rather than seniority-based.

What to watch

• How Pakistan's new-look middle order and keepers handle Rawalpindi's pitch in the opener.
• Whether Shaheen, Naseem and Haris Rauf can take early wickets against a Sri Lanka side missing Nissanka.
• Points table after the Rawalpindi leg, before the series moves to Lahore on 25 October.
• After the tri-series, Sri Lanka stay on for two Tests, starting in Rawalpindi on 9 November.

We will update this post with results as the series progresses.