Pakistan vs England 2nd ODI: England Win Toss and Bowl First in Historic Rawalpindi Clash
England won the toss and elected to bowl first against Pakistan in the Pakistan vs England 2nd ODI at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday, October 20, 2026 — England’s first one-day international on Pakistani soil in more than two decades. With Pakistan riding high after their opening win over Sri Lanka, the second match of the men’s ODI tri-series is a fascinating contest between two sides building toward the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup.
England opt to field after winning the toss in Pakistan vs England 2nd ODI
England captain Harry Brook called correctly at the toss, which took place at 12:30 PM PKT, and had no hesitation in inserting the hosts. Pakistan captain Shaheen Shah Afridi confirmed at the toss that his side would field an unchanged playing eleven from the team that defeated Sri Lanka by 37 runs in the tournament opener two days ago. The Pakistan vs England 2nd ODI began at 1:00 PM PKT in front of an expectant Rawalpindi crowd.
Playing XIs for the Pakistan vs England 2nd ODI
Pakistan: Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Saad Baig (wk), Hasan Nawaz, Salman Ali Agha, Arafat Minhas, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi (c), Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah.
England: Ben Duckett, Tom Banton, Joe Root, Harry Brook (c), Jordan Cox (wk), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Gus Atkinson, Adil Rashid, Sonny Baker.
Pakistan’s batting revolves around Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman and Salman Ali Agha, with Shaheen Afridi leading a pace attack featuring Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah. England blended experience — Joe Root, Adil Rashid, Sam Curran — with young talent in Tom Banton, Jordan Cox and Sonny Baker.
A historic occasion: England’s first ODI in Pakistan since 2005
This is England’s first one-day international appearance in Pakistan since 2005 — a 21-year gap shaped by security concerns that kept touring sides away. England’s return for a full ODI assignment is another milestone in Pakistan’s restoration as a safe venue for international cricket, and a tri-nation series featuring England and Sri Lanka is exactly the high-profile cricket home fans have craved.
Head-to-head: England hold a commanding lead
History favours the visitors in this rivalry. England and Pakistan have faced each other 92 times in one-day internationals, with England winning 57 to Pakistan’s 32, while three matches ended without a result. England have also won the last four ODIs between the two sides, with victories recorded in Cardiff, Lord’s, Birmingham and Kolkata between 2021 and 2023.
Pakistan take heart from home conditions and winning momentum — three wins in their last four ODI series, including a first-ever home series victory over South Africa in November 2025.
Pakistan’s winning start and the ICC over-rate fines
Pakistan opened their tri-series campaign in style on Sunday, October 18, defeating Sri Lanka by 37 runs at the same venue. Salman Ali Agha’s superb 107 off 90 balls powered the hosts to 305 before the bowlers, led by captain Shaheen Afridi, dismissed Sri Lanka for 268 in 48.1 overs.
There was an unwelcome footnote to the opener: the ICC penalised both teams for slow over-rates — Pakistan were fined 10 percent of their match fee, Sri Lanka 5 percent. Both sides will be keen to keep the over-rate in check in the Pakistan vs England 2nd ODI to avoid further sanctions.
What is at stake in the ODI tri-series
The seven-match tri-series follows a double round-robin format also featuring Sri Lanka, with the top two teams advancing to the final on October 31 at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. With the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup now less than a year away, both teams view this tournament as a vital testing ground to fine-tune their squads. For Pakistan, a win in the Pakistan vs England 2nd ODI would make it two wins from two and all but seal a place in the final; for England, starting their campaign with victory against the hosts would be a powerful statement of intent.
At the time of writing, with the match in progress, Pakistan had closed their innings on 302 for 9 from their 50 overs, leaving England a chase of 303 to win. (Scores were correct at the time of writing; the match was still in progress.)
How to watch: Pakistan — PTV Sports (TV); Tapmad, Tamasha and PCB Live (streaming). UK — Sky Sports. USA/Canada — Willow TV.
Sources: This report is based on match coverage by DNA News Agency and GeoSuper TV.
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