England, Sri Lanka to play ODI tri-series in Pakistan

New Delhi, April 27 Pakistan will tune up for the 2027 World Cup with a home tri-series with England and Sri Lanka this year, according to a report on Monday. There will be four matches, with each team facing the other once, with the top two teams playing the final.

The PCB has plans for the national team, as the results in the ICC events have not been encouraging. Pakistan have not qualified for the semis of the ODI World Cup since their 2011 defeat to India in Mohali. They crashed out in the quarterfinals of the 2015 World Cup, followed by a first-round exit in the next two, in 2019 and 2023.

"The Pakistan Cricket Board has extensive plans for the national team to prepare for the ODI World Cup in 2027 with a tri-series with England and Sri Lanka in October-November this year. The England and Wales Cricket Board have agreed to the tri-series with dates due to be finalised in the next few days. Sri Lanka will be on a Test tour to Pakistan, so the ODI tri-series will be after the Tests, said the report.

“The PCB management will sit down with white-ball head coach Mike Hesson and ODI captain Shaheen Shah Afridi to chalk out preparation plans in June,” a source was quoted in the report.

Australia is also scheduled to tour Pakistan for a three-match ODI series in May-June this year.

Pakistan tried six uncapped players in their series in Bangladesh in March, which they lost 2-1. “Shaheen is determined to lead Pakistan to good results in ODIs and to prepare for the World Cup; he is ready to try out young players.”

South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia are co-hosts of the 2027 World Cup.

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