Summary Sri Lanka win the toss and elect to field against Pakistan in the opening ODI of the tri-nation series in Rawalpindi, as Shaheen Afridi targets a 300-run total.
RAWALPINDI (Dunya News) – Wicketkeeper-batter Saad Baig made his Pakistan debut as Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bowl first in the opening match of the ODI tri-series at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
The left-handed batter, a former Pakistan under-19 captain, has moved in and out of national team contention over the past couple of years. He strengthened his case with 1,000 runs in the 2025-26 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, Pakistan’s premier first-class competition.
Saad was selected ahead of fellow wicketkeeper Ghazi Ghori, who made his ODI and Test debuts earlier this year.
The tri-series marks the start of Pakistan’s final phase of preparations for next year’s 50-over World Cup, as the team seeks to end its nine-year wait for an International Cricket Council (ICC) trophy.
Under captain Shaheen Shah Afridi, Pakistan’s ODI side has spent the past year rebuilding and won all its home series during that period. Those series were played on slower, spin-friendly pitches, including during the team’s recent assignments against Australia in May and June.
The conditions for the tri-series are expected to present a different challenge, with pitches being prepared to resemble those in South Africa. The surfaces appeared greener during Pakistan’s recent T20I series against Sri Lanka, with Shaheen confirming that efforts had been made to encourage lateral movement and bounce.
Shaheen said Pakistan had used its last four ODI series to build the team with next year’s World Cup in mind, adding that pitches were also being prepared accordingly.
Senior batter Fakhar Zaman said Pakistan had gone a long time without winning a major tournament despite reaching finals and semi-finals. He said players had discussed the issue seriously and would make every effort to bring a major trophy back to Pakistan.
Senior fast bowler Naseem Shah has also stressed the importance of keeping the World Cup in focus.
