Jos Buttler is injured, Jofra Archer is resting and Pathum Nissanka has been ruled out with a hamstring problem. That alone makes the Pakistan ODI Tri Series squads feel very different from a normal pre-World Cup warm-up.
All three sides have named 16 players for seven ODIs across Rawalpindi and Lahore, starting on 18 October. Cricket Insider UK breaks down who made the cut, who missed out and who could decide the final on 31 October. Dates and streaming details sit in our tri series schedule guide.
Pakistan ODI Tri Series 2026: Captains and Squad Sizes
Each side has one clear leader and exactly 16 names. Here’s how the three groups line up before the first ball in Rawalpindi.
| Team | Captain | Role | Squad size |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | Harry Brook | Batter | 16 |
| Pakistan | Shaheen Shah Afridi | Left arm fast bowler | 16 |
| Sri Lanka | Kusal Mendis | Wicketkeeper batter | 16 |
(Source: England and Wales Cricket Board, Pakistan Cricket Board, Sri Lanka Cricket)
Now the full lists, starting with the hosts.
Full Squad Lists for the Pakistan ODI Tri Series
Every player below is in the 16 man group each board has confirmed, with Sri Lanka’s list updated for Nissanka’s withdrawal.
Pakistan Squad for the ODI Tri Series
Shaheen Shah Afridi captains a side built around five all rounders, which gives the hosts batting depth and bowling cover. Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman carry most of the top order experience. Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah join Afridi in the fast bowling group.
Batters
- Babar Azam
- Fakhar Zaman
- Hasan Nawaz
All rounders
- Salman Ali Agha
- Arafat Minhas
- Faheem Ashraf
- Saim Ayub
- Shadab Khan
Wicketkeepers
- Ghazi Ghori
- Saad Baig
Bowlers
- Shaheen Shah Afridi (c)
- Abrar Ahmed
- Haris Rauf
- Naseem Shah
- Razaullah Mashwani
- Sufyan Moqim
(Source: Pakistan Cricket Board)
England Squad for the ODI Tri Series
Harry Brook leads a reshaped England group. Adil Rashid returns after a hand injury and Sam Curran after a groin problem. Mason Crane, Henry Crocombe and James Coles earn first ODI call ups. Jos Buttler misses out with a hamstring injury, and Jofra Archer has been rested.
Batters
- Harry Brook (c)
- Ben Duckett
- Joe Root
All rounders
- James Coles
- Sam Curran
- Liam Dawson
- Will Jacks
- Jamie Overton
Wicketkeepers
- Tom Banton
- Jordan Cox
Bowlers
- Gus Atkinson
- Sonny Baker
- Mason Crane
- Henry Crocombe
- Adil Rashid
- Josh Tongue
(Source: England and Wales Cricket Board)
Sri Lanka Squad for the ODI Tri Series
Kusal Mendis captains Sri Lanka from behind the stumps, with five all rounders giving him batting depth. Pathum Nissanka has been ruled out through injury, and Lahiru Udara takes his place. Udara has played five Tests and seven T20Is, but he has no ODI cap yet.
Batters
- Lahiru Udara
- Avishka Fernando
- Pavan Rathnayake
All rounders
- Sahan Arachchige
- Kamindu Mendis
- Janith Liyanage
- Dasun Shanaka
- Dunith Wellalage
Wicketkeepers
- Kusal Mendis (c)
- Kamil Mishara
Bowlers
- Maheesh Theekshana
- Sachindu Colombage
- Dushmantha Chameera
- Asitha Fernando
- Dilshan Madushanka
- Eshan Malinga
(Source: Sri Lanka Cricket)
Those lists changed late for two of the three sides, so the next section covers why.
Major Squad Changes Before the Tri Series
Injuries and rest decisions have shaped England and Sri Lanka far more than Pakistan. These are the changes that matter.
- Jos Buttler: Out with a hamstring injury picked up against Sri Lanka at Headingley, according to England’s limited overs coach Brendon McCullum. Jordan Cox and Tom Banton are the two wicketkeepers in the squad.
- Jofra Archer: Rested to manage his workload after a busy summer, according to national selector Marcus North.
- Adil Rashid and Sam Curran: Both return, Rashid after a hand injury that kept him out of the Sri Lanka series and Curran after a groin problem.
- Uncapped trio: Mason Crane, Henry Crocombe and James Coles earn first ODI call ups. Crane’s last England appearance came eight years ago.
- Jacob Bethell: Also sidelined through injury, which adds to England’s reshuffle.
- Pathum Nissanka: Ruled out of the series with a left hamstring injury after he failed to get medical clearance. Lahiru Udara replaces him.
(Source: ECB, Reuters, Sri Lanka Cricket)
With the squads settled, here are the players most likely to shape the series.
Key Players to Watch in the Tri Series
Cricket Insider UK has picked six names across the three squads, based on role, recent form and what the series means for them.
Joe Root (England)
- Role: Top order batter and England’s leading ODI run scorer.
- Numbers: 7,330 ODI runs at an average of 48.54, with 19 hundreds.
- Why he matters: With Buttler absent, England lean on Root’s calm in a reshaped batting group. A big anchor innings in Rawalpindi or Lahore could set the tone for everyone around him.
Harry Brook (England)
- Role: Captain and middle order batter.
- Numbers: 1,530 ODI runs at 38.25 (as of 27 September 2026), including an unbeaten 136 off 66 balls against Sri Lanka in January 2026.
- Why he matters: England meet Sri Lanka twice, on 22 and 29 October, and Brook has already shown he can take that attack apart.
Adil Rashid (England)
- Role: Leg spinner.
- Numbers: 243 ODI wickets, the most by an England spinner.
- Why he matters: He’s back from a hand injury and is England’s most proven spin option. Mason Crane has no ODI cap, so Rashid carries the responsibility in the middle overs.
Babar Azam (Pakistan)
- Role: Top order batter.
- Numbers: 6,501 ODI runs at 53.72 from 140 matches, with 20 hundreds (as of 29 May 2026).
- Why he matters: Twenty hundreds put him level with Saeed Anwar’s Pakistan record at that count. If he’s still level, one more century in front of home crowds makes him the outright leader.
Shaheen Shah Afridi (Pakistan)
- Role: Captain and left arm fast bowler.
- Numbers: 146 ODI wickets in 77 matches at an average of 24.50, with an economy rate of 5.56 and best figures of 6 for 35.
- Why he matters: He leads the attack and the side, so his new ball spells shape both Pakistan’s bowling plans and their tactics.
Kusal Mendis (Sri Lanka)
- Role: Captain, wicketkeeper and batter.
- Numbers: 5,125 ODI runs in 158 matches at 36.34, with seven hundreds and 36 fifties (as of 25 September 2026).
- Why he matters: His 121 off 100 balls at Headingley in September levelled the ODI series against England, and with Nissanka out, he carries the top order. Both sides meet twice here, and our England and Sri Lanka head to head record has the full history.
(Source: Cricket Australia, ESPNcricinfo, Wikipedia, Tribune India, NewsBytes, ANI)
Harry Brook, Shaheen Afridi and Kusal Mendis Lead Three Reshaped Squads Into the 18 October Opener
England arrive without Jos Buttler and Jofra Archer, Sri Lanka without Pathum Nissanka, and Pakistan lean on Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman at home. Each side has 16 players and a 2027 World Cup audition in mind, so depth matters as much as results.
Pakistan and Sri Lanka open in Rawalpindi on 18 October, England join in on 20 October, and the top two meet in the Lahore final on 31 October. England then head to Australia in November, and England’s full fixture list covers what comes next.
Sources
- England name reshuffled squad for Pakistan tri series (ICC): Used to confirm England’s 16 player squad, Brook as captain, the returns of Rashid and Curran, Archer being rested and Crane’s call up.
- Buttler ruled out of Pakistan tri series with hamstring injury (Reuters via The Star): Used to confirm Buttler’s hamstring injury and that he will miss the series.
- England paceman Archer rested for ODI tri series (ENCA): Used for the selector’s comments on Archer, Rashid and Curran, and for Jacob Bethell being sidelined.
- Sri Lanka’s Nissanka ruled out of tri series (The Express Tribune): Used to confirm Nissanka’s injury, Lahiru Udara as his replacement and Sri Lanka’s 16 player squad.
- Joe Root player profile (Cricket Australia): Used for Root’s ODI runs, average and hundreds.
- Harry Brook (Wikipedia, citing ESPNcricinfo): Used for Brook’s ODI runs and average as of 27 September 2026 and his captaincy.
- Harry Brook player profile (Mykhel): Used for his unbeaten 136 against Sri Lanka in January 2026.
- Adil Rashid (Wikipedia): Used for Rashid’s ODI wickets total and his status as England’s leading spin wicket taker.
- Babar Azam one ton away from becoming Pakistan’s leading ODI centurion (Tribune India, ANI): Used for Babar’s ODI runs, average and 20 hundreds as of 29 May 2026.
- Shaheen Afridi career stats (NewsBytes): Used for Shaheen’s ODI wickets, average, economy rate and best figures.
- Kusal Mendis ton, bowlers shine as Sri Lanka edge England (NewKerala, ANI): Used for Kusal Mendis’s 121 at Headingley and his ODI career figures as of 25 September 2026.
