Pakistan can seal a place in the tri-series final against winless England

Pakistan need one more win to be certain of a place in the tri-series final, and England arrive in Lahore still without a point

Pakistan play England in the fourth match of the Pakistan ODI Tri-Series 2026 at Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday, with the first ball due at 1:00 PM local time.

Shaheen Shah Afridi's side have won both their matches and lead the table on four points at a net run rate of +1.240. Sri Lanka have two points from two games and England are bottom with none, at -0.892.

The group stage is six matches, each side meeting the other two twice, and the top two go through to the final at the same ground on 31 October.

Minhas takes six as Pakistan go two from two

The sides last met in Rawalpindi on 20 October, where Pakistan were put in, recovered from 133 for 5 to 302 for 9 and won by 87 runs.

Hasan Nawaz made 79 from 74 balls with five fours and four sixes, Arafat Minhas 59 from 58, and Faheem Ashraf 39 from 26 at the end of the innings.

England were 91 without loss in 14.3 overs before Haris Rauf broke the opening stand, and were then bowled out for 215 in 38.4 overs. Tom Banton made 57 from 53 and Ben Duckett 45 from 46.

Minhas followed his fifty with 6-40 from 8.4 overs.

"Banton and Ducky set the tone beautifully, but we lost the wickets in clumps," Harry Brook said afterwards, adding that England "were a bit too much circumspect against the spinners."

England's 429 was not enough

Two days later England lost again, in the highest-scoring match of the series.

Brook made 202 not out from 116 balls with 21 fours and 10 sixes, the fastest double century in men's one-day international cricket and the first by an England batter, and England closed on 429 for 4.

Joe Root made 69 from 66, Will Jacks 66 from 30 and Banton 50 from 51.

Sri Lanka chased it down with one ball to spare, the second-highest successful chase in ODI history behind South Africa's 434 against Australia in 2006. Pavan Rathnayake made 130 from 106 balls, Avishka Fernando 97 from 83 and Dasun Shanaka 97 from 50 with eight sixes.

Sam Curran conceded 103 runs in his nine overs and Josh Tongue took three wickets for 79.

"It was a nice innings. Unfortunately it doesn't mean anything now being on the losing side. It has no value whatsoever," Brook said. "You don't see many teams chase down 430 and hats off to Sri Lanka, they've played exceptionally well."

What a win would settle

A third Pakistan win would take them to six points with one group game still to play, a total England cannot match: they have two matches left and a maximum of four.

Defeat would leave England needing to beat Sri Lanka on 29 October and hoping Sri Lanka lose to Pakistan on Tuesday, with net run rate likely to settle second place.

Pakistan's own last group match is against Sri Lanka at Gaddafi Stadium on 27 October.

Agha's hundred set the series going

Pakistan opened the tournament by beating Sri Lanka by 37 runs on 18 October, making 305 in 49.5 overs and bowling the visitors out for 268 in 48.1.

Salman Agha made 107 from 90 balls on his return to the side, his fourth ODI hundred, with Babar Azam adding 45. Shaheen took 3-55.

Sri Lanka lost their last five wickets for 15 runs after Rathnayake's 79 and Janith Liyanage's 60 had added 119 together.

"Arafat is a very good talent and he is a proper allrounder, which bodes well for us," Shaheen said after the win over England, adding that Pakistan "need to improve further as we are looking to build towards the World Cup."

Selection questions in Lahore

Adil Rashid played against Pakistan but was left out against Sri Lanka in favour of Liam Dawson, and whether England restore him is the clearest of their selection calls.

Banton is the only England batter to pass fifty in both matches, and England's bowling has conceded 302 and 430 in the two games.

All three teams have already qualified for next year's World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, so nothing beyond this tournament rests on the result.

The fourth match of the Pakistan ODI Tri-Series 2026 starts at 1:00 PM local time at Gaddafi Stadium, with the final at the same ground on 31 October.

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