RAWALPINDI: The trophy for the tri-nation ODI series featuring Pakistan, England and Sri Lanka was unveiled on Saturday ahead of the tournament, which begins on Sunday with Pakistan taking on Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi.
The series will feature a total of seven matches, with three games scheduled in Rawalpindi and four, including the final, to be played in Lahore. All matches are scheduled to begin at 1pm.
The three captains also addressed separate press conferences during the trophy unveiling ceremony.
Pakistan’s ODI captain Shaheen Afridi welcomed England and Sri Lanka to Pakistan and said the team’s primary objective was to win the series.
“We have planned our strategy, and this series will also help in shaping the squad for the World Cup,” Shaheen said.
He described experienced batter Babar Azam as the “backbone” of the team and praised the unity within the squad. Shaheen also highlighted the recent performances of Salman Ali Agha, who recently scored a triple century in first-class cricket.
Sri Lankan captain Kusal Mendis said his team had learned a lot from the recent T20 series.
He said there was no clear favourite in the tournament and that the team that played better cricket would emerge victorious.
England captain Harry Brook said playing cricket in Pakistan can be challenging but added that he feels more confident when playing in the country.
Brook recalled that he played in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) at the age of 22, saying the experience of playing in the PSL had helped him considerably in international cricket.
He further said that playing as many matches as possible before the World Cup would be beneficial for the teams