Pakistan, England look to build ODI future

Pakistan and England will be aiming to build one-day sides for the future as they enter a four-match series in Abu Dhabi starting on Wednesday.

Pakistan, who won the preceding three-match Test series 2-0, will be in a tight corner as they seek huge improvement in their one-day ranking, in order to lift themselves for the 2019 World Cup to be held in England.

Besides hosts England, seven other top-ranked sides as of September 30, 2017 will qualify directly for the World Cup, and the only way Pakistan can move up the order is by winning matches against the higher-ranked sides.

Pakistan, currently ranked eighth as compared to England’s sixth, will be hoping they do not repeat their below-par performances they gave in 2012 when they were blanked 4-0 in the UAE

Skipper Azhar Ali said the series is important for the future as well as rankings. “We need improvement in rankings as well as want to build the team for the future.”

Pakistan crashed out at the quarter-finals in the 2015 World Cup in March.

But the worst came in Bangladesh where Pakistan were routed 3-0 in April — their first series defeat against the neighbours.

Since then Pakistan beat Zimbabwe twice (home and away) and Sri Lanka in August.

Regarding Younis Khan’s debatable selection, despite his poor form in the one-dayers, Ali said he hopes the senior batsman will come good.

“Younis is a legend so we hope that he contributes and helps us win,” said Ali, made captain after Misbah-ul-Haq and Shahid Afridi retired following the World Cup.

England captain Eoin Morgan said his team was progressing well. “We had two very competitive series in which we have seen a lot of youngsters produce some unbelieveable performances and although this series will be different the platform will hold us in good stead,” said Morgan.