Match at a Glance
Pakistan take on England in the 2nd ODI of the tri-series at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium today, Tuesday October 20. The toss is at 12:30 PM PKT and the match starts at 1:00 PM PKT. Pakistan come in with their tails up after beating Sri Lanka by 37 runs in the opener — a second win would put them 2-0 and all but book their place in the October 31 final at Lahore. England, meanwhile, begin their tri-series campaign here, and Harry Brook's reshuffled side cannot afford a slow start in a format where only the top two of three teams survive.
Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium — Pakistan's home fortress hosts the 2nd ODI today at 1pm PKT. Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Form Guide: Both Teams Arrive With Momentum
Pakistan's last five ODIs read W-L-W-L-W, and that middling sequence hides a better story: they have won three of their last four ODI series, including a historic first-ever home ODI series win over South Africa in November 2025, and Sunday's 37-run win over Sri Lanka in the tri-series opener. The only blot is the 1-2 defeat in Bangladesh in March. In Rawalpindi two days ago, they recovered from a shaky 32 for 2 to post 305, then held their nerve when Sri Lanka needed 55 off the last seven overs.
England's recent form is arguably the best of the three tri-series sides: back-to-back ODI series wins over India and then Sri Lanka. Their last three ODIs — the September home series against Sri Lanka — read W, L, W, and the decider at The Oval was a statement: 355 for 7 — Tom Banton's maiden ODI hundred (126), Brook's 77 and Jordan Cox's 76 off 52 balls — then Sri Lanka were rolled for 132 and England won by 223 runs. But there is a warning inside that series too: England lost the second ODI at Headingley by 16 runs after Kusal Mendis's century, chasing 322. This batting unit can post 355, and it can also misfire.
Team Comparison: Pakistan vs England ODI Head-to-Head
The overall record is heavily England's way — but recent meetings in Asia tell a different story.
- Total ODIs played: 92 | England wins: 57 | Pakistan wins: 32 | No result: 3
- First ODI: August 31, 1974, Nottingham — Pakistan won by 7 wickets
- Highest totals: England 444 (Nottingham, 2016); Pakistan 361 (Southampton, 2019)
- Memorable ICC clashes: 1992 World Cup final — Pakistan won by 22 runs; 2017 Champions Trophy semi-final — Pakistan won by 8 wickets; 2019 World Cup — Pakistan won by 14 runs at Trent Bridge (Mohammad Hafeez 84); 2023 World Cup — England won by 93 runs
The head-to-head favours England, but Pakistan's pace attack at home has been the great leveller — and in the opener, Sri Lanka's middle order found that out the hard way.
Babar Azam passed 16,000 international runs during the tri-series opener. Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0).
Tri-Series Top Performers So Far
Only one match is in the books, and it belonged to Pakistan's middle order and new-ball attack:
- Salman Ali Agha — 107 off 90 balls (10 fours, 1 six), his fourth ODI hundred and a Pakistan record: the most ODI centuries by a Pakistan batter at No. 5 or lower, passing Mohammad Yousuf's three. "My son watches a lot of TV, so that was for him," he said of his celebration.
- Babar Azam — 45 off 57 in the opener, crossing 16,000 international runs.
- Shaheen Shah Afridi — 3 for 55, leading an attack in which Naseem Shah (2-43), Haris Rauf (2-48) and Faheem Ashraf (2-49) all struck.
- For Sri Lanka: Pavan Rathnayake 79 and Janith Liyanage 60 shared a 119-run fifth-wicket stand before Sri Lanka lost their last five wickets for 15 runs; Eshan Malinga took 4 for 46.
Key Battles That Will Decide This Game
Shaheen Afridi vs England's new-look top order. Rawalpindi offered the new ball some early movement on Sunday — Sri Lanka's top four barely dented the chase. Tom Banton, who replaced the injured Jacob Bethell at the top of England's order in September and cashed in with that Oval hundred, has never faced this attack in these conditions. If Shaheen and Naseem repeat their opener's early strikes, England's deep batting will be tested immediately.
Adil Rashid's return vs Pakistan's middle order. Rashid is back from a hand injury and straight into a squad missing its two biggest names. Pakistan's middle order — Agha, Hasan Nawaz, Arafat Minhas — was the story of the opener. Leg-spin in the middle overs is where England will try to slow them down, with 29-year-old Mason Crane waiting in the wings for a possible debut eight years after his lone Test.
Babar Azam vs England's pace. Babar looked in complete control for his 45 on Sunday. England's attack without Jofra Archer — rested for workload management — leans on Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue and the returning Sam Curran. Atkinson's 2 for 26 in the Oval decider showed he can be lethal when the ball is new.
Fakhar Zaman — Pakistan need their openers to give the middle order a platform today. Photo: Wikimedia Commons (file photo).
Pitch and Conditions: What to Expect at Rawalpindi
The surface on Sunday produced a genuine contest: 305 played 268, seam movement with the new ball in both innings, and a chase that turned when dew settled in under lights. Today's game is a day fixture — toss 12:30 PM, start 1:00 PM PKT — so dew should be far less of a factor, and the afternoon heat will keep the outfield quick. Rawalpindi has a long reputation as a good batting track, but the team winning the toss will have noted that Sri Lanka chose to bowl first on Sunday. Expect the captain who calls correctly to do the same and back his quicks to exploit the first hour.
Probable Playing XIs
Pakistan (likely unchanged): Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Saad Baig (wk), Salman Ali Agha, Hasan Nawaz, Arafat Minhas, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi (c), Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf. Note: Shadab Khan and Sufiyan Moqim missed the opener through illness, so their availability is worth watching at the toss.
England (probable): Ben Duckett, Tom Banton, Joe Root, Harry Brook (c), Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Jordan Cox (wk), Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Gus Atkinson, Adil Rashid. Jordan Cox keeps the gloves in Jos Buttler's absence (hamstring), while Rashid's return gives England the leg-spin option they missed at home.
Adil Rashid returns to England's ODI side after recovering from a hand injury. Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).
My Prediction
I am leaning Pakistan, narrowly. The reasoning is simple: this exact attack has already won at this exact venue two days ago, Agha is in the form of his life, and England are opening their campaign with a side missing Buttler and Archer while their players adjust to subcontinental conditions. But "narrowly" matters — England posted 355 for 7 twice in September, and if Banton and Brook bat the way they did at The Oval, Pakistan's 300-par score might not be enough. If England win the toss and their openers survive Shaheen's first spell, this becomes a genuine 50-50. My call: Pakistan by a small margin, most likely defending or chasing in the final five overs.
For the bigger picture, both teams meet again in Lahore on October 25, and with Sri Lanka waiting on October 22, today's result will shape the race for the two final spots on October 31. Read our full tri-series preview here, and relive Pakistan's 37-run win over Sri Lanka in the opener.
FAQs
When and where is the Pakistan vs England 2nd ODI?
Tuesday, October 20, at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium — toss 12:30 PM PKT, first ball 1:00 PM PKT.
What is the head-to-head record between Pakistan and England in ODIs?
92 matches: England 57 wins, Pakistan 32 wins, 3 no results.
Who will win Pakistan vs England 2nd ODI?
My prediction is Pakistan, narrowly — home conditions, the new-ball attack's opener form, and Salman Ali Agha's hundred give them the edge, though England's batting depth makes this a genuine contest.
Where can I watch Pakistan vs England 2nd ODI?
In Pakistan on PTV Sports and streaming via tapmad, Tamasha and PCB Live; in the UK on Sky Sports. England's 16-man tri-series squad details are here.
Sources
- ESPNcricinfo match report — Pakistan vs Sri Lanka, 1st ODI, October 18, 2026
- Reuters — England name 16-man squad for Pakistan ODI tri-series, October 1, 2026
- Geo TV / Dawn — squad announcements and tri-series schedule
- Express Tribune / Reuters — England's 223-run win over Sri Lanka at The Oval, September 27, 2026
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